


I'll Love You For Always

by Annie_Uchiha, charmed_seconds, Proxima_Centauri



Series: Together We're Purple [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Imprinting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Keith (Voltron), Attempted Murder, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood and Gore, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Depressed Keith (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Keith (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Keith (Voltron) Has Issues, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Lance (Voltron) Has Panic Attacks, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Medical Procedures, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mentioned Characters from Other Shows, Polyamory, Post S7-AU, Queer Shiro, Racism, Sick Keith (Voltron), medical gore, mentioned torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 162,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27072247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annie_Uchiha/pseuds/Annie_Uchiha, https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmed_seconds/pseuds/charmed_seconds, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proxima_Centauri/pseuds/Proxima_Centauri
Summary: In the midst of the night, the Paladins get alerted Keith's latest Blades mission isn't going exactly to plan. The rescue mission turned into the catalyst of, Bam!, a racist murder scheme.Also, Lance might need some water after this.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lance/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Together We're Purple [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596619
Comments: 9
Kudos: 81





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally written by 3 authors on Facebook Messenger in a roleplay style and thus will not flow like a normal story, please keep that in mind while reading this.
> 
> As this is canon divergent, there are a few things that are somewhat mentioned within the stories but we felt should be stated in the notes section :
> 
> \- Lance outgrew Keith and is now taller (much to Keith's displeasure).
> 
> \- Keith can speak three languages (Korean, Japanese, and Spanish)
> 
> \- Shiro is an army brat, and his family lived in Korea due to his father being stationed there, and thus can speak Korean.
> 
> \- Keith harbors more Galran instincts and thus purrs and chirps.
> 
> Also, each author had assigned characters :
> 
> Charmed_seconds --> Keith, Krolia, Mila, Sorey, Iverson, Kolivan, Kosmo, Chihoon, Laogai, 
> 
> Annie_Uchiha --> Lance, Hunk, Pietro, Jeremy, Veronica, Griffin, Combatants, 
> 
> Proxima_Centauri --> Shiro, Pidge, Allura, Guards, 
> 
> Also, Korean, Japanese and Spanish were used in this story. None of the authors are fluent speakers and utilized Google Translate to help us. Furthermore, Korean and Japanese have been romanized as well. English translations for all three languages can be found in the parenthesis after the paragraph. If there are any glaring mistranslations, please let us know and we'll fix them! Thank you!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Shiro gripped the controls tightly as he and the other three lions descended into the planet's atmosphere. They were one short, clearly missing him and hoping to get him back as quickly as possible. "Alright team, we don't know what we're heading into here. I want readings before we head in. Pidge, can you get Keith's coordinates?"

Pidge chewed on their lip. "Not exactly? I can get a range. It's a desert planet with a pretty intricate network of caves," they explained as they threw what the Green Lion's scanners could pick up on onto the common viewing screen. "I'm guessing the Galra were using these ones here as their base, since they appear to have the best natural defense structure."

They circled the caves they meant to indicate, the drawing showing up on the screen as well.

Lance swallowed his nerves for the millionth time that day. Keith was in trouble, Red had told him as much, just as Black had done for Shiro and Green and Yellow for Pidge and Hunk. He wasn't sure what they would find down there. "Any life readings at all?" he asked, not quite able to keep the shaking out of his voice.

Pidge frowned. "There's something, I just can't tell who, what, or how many."

Shiro gritted his teeth. Of course they'd be going in blind.

Lance closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Keith would be fine. They'd find him and he'd be okay, and they would all go home. When he reopened his eyes, he found Hunk looking at him from his screen.

"Don't worry," Hunk said. "We'll find him."

Lance nodded. "Thanks, buddy. I hope you're right," he said, eyes flicking to Shiro's screen. He knew Shiro was probably in as bad a shape as he was.

"We _will_ find him," Shiro said, voice certain as he focused his eyes straight ahead. They had to find him. He wouldn't lose him again. Couldn't let Lance go without him. He took a breath to steady himself and detach himself from his emotions. They wouldn't help here. _Patience yields focus._

"We're going to have to split up. Pidge, you're with me to scan as we go into the tunnels. Hunk and Lance, you're out here as our eyes and backup. We don't need to go bringing the place down around our ears with your artillery." He glanced at the two of them, Lance in particular. He looked like he was in rough shape. With any luck this would be a routine search-and-rescue and they could all go home.

"Copy," Pidge affirmed as they brought their lion down alongside Shiro's.

Lance and Hunk followed suit, stepping out of their lions and looking around. The place looked barren, little to no trees, just a few dry brushes and rocky terrain. "Where are you guys going in? I'll find a good vantage point, Hunk can stand guard outside."

Shiro stepped out of his lion, moving to stand beside Lance. There... wasn't a whole lot here. He noted what looked like entrances to a few caves. "Pidge?"

Pidge gestured to one of them on the left. "The others look like they dead end. This is the only one that goes in farther," they supplied, maps flashing on their helmet screen. 

Shiro nodded and clapped a steadying hand on Lance's shoulder, trying to provide some comfort. "Need anything before we go in? We'll check in regularly, assuming the comms hold out underground."

Lance's eyes flicked in the direction of Shiro's hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "Just please bring him home," he said quietly, clenching his fists at his sides.

Shiro nodded. "We will," he reassured Lance before he dropped his hand, falling back into routine. "Alright. I'll take point. Pidge, you follow me. Hunk, Lance, tell us if anything happens out here." He moved toward the mouth of the cave, noting the taller than average ceiling height and that the cave looked pretty stable. If Galrans were regularly coming through here though, that made sense. At least he wouldn't have to duck.

Pidge nodded and started following behind. "I'll let you know as soon as I get anything," they reassured the team. "We'll find him in no time and be back on the Atlas in a few hours."

They looked a little nervous, but confident in the fact that they would find Keith. They weren't going to lose another sibling to space.

Lance nodded but didn't say anything. Instead he began to look around for a good vantage point over the cave entrance. 

"Be safe everyone," Hunk said.

Lance's eyes settled on a large rock face a little ways away with a good view of the surrounding area. Lance pointed at it, turning to Hunk. "I'll be up there. You stay at the mouth of the cave, near the lions, just in case we need heavy backup."

Hunk nodded. "Okay."

Lance started toward the rock face at a light jog, easily finding footholds when he reached the bottom. In a few minutes he was at the top and pulling out his bayard. It shifted into his sniper rifle and he got into a comfortable position on his stomach, adjusting his sight a bit before doing a quick sweep of the terrain. Nothing. 

"I'm in position. Everything's quiet on my end. How's it looking in there?" he asked into the comm.

"Hunk in position. Everything quiet here too," Hunk said.

Lance could see Hunk stationed just outside the cave entrance, bayard in hand. He continued his scan of the horizon.

Shiro and Pidge worked their way into the cave, on each of their helmets a screen mapping out where they'd been and potential paths that Keith could lie down. 

"Shiro here. Pretty quiet so far," he murmured into the comms as Pidge scanned to try and find Keith's signal. He noted a few upturned items scattered throughout the tunnel. "Looks like they left in a hurry, fairly recently."

Pidge hummed. "It's gonna come to a fork up ahead. I'm getting some weird readings from the left, we should try that way." 

Shiro nodded an agreement and they pressed forward.

They kept going, Shiro sweeping rooms as he came across them, Pidge staying on guard with their bayard out and set to stun mode in case anybody came up from further in the cave. "Reading is pretty close now," Pidge notified Shiro as he finished clearing a room. "Next one, I think."

Shiro swallowed and clenched his jaw. "Alright, let's see what it is then." He counted silently before slamming open the door, doing a sweep with his flashlight and coming across a writhing, black and bright blue mass with a bag over its head. "Kosmo?!" Shiro asked incredulously as he stepped forward, resting a hand on Kosmo's flank.

Kosmo yelped as he tried to stand, head twisting and turning as he tried to get the bag off of his head. His muscles were quivering, broken whimpers coming from him as he tugged at his restraints.

Lance continued scanning the area as his heart picked up its pace. "Is he alright?" Lance asked. "Any sign of Keith?"

Pidge peered in. "You've got Kosmo?" they asked with surprise, wondering how the readings had wound up being the space wolf. He normally didn't pick up on sensors. They made sure to stay outside and keep alert though.

Shiro pet him gently and pulled the bag off of his head, a bit shocked to encounter a muzzle and a collar around his neck. "Shh, buddy. You're okay, Pidge and I are right here. Calm down, I'll get you out of this." He started looking over the collar and muzzle, trying to figure out how to get them off without hurting him. "He looks fine, but he's muzzled and restrained. Keith's going to have a field day," Shiro murmured absently as he figured out how to unstrap the muzzle, the object falling away from the hound's mouth.

Lance let out the breath he was holding. Kosmo seemed to be mostly fine then, but he couldn't help the disappointment that came from not hearing anything about Keith. Lance pulled his sight to Hunk, then back to the surrounding area. 

"Still clear out here," he reported.

"Clear here," Hunk echoed.

Kosmo stilled as the bag was pulled from his head, his yellow eyes focusing on Shiro. He still pulled at his restraints, desperate to get out of them. He whimpered when he realized he wasn't completely free yet.

Shiro shushed him. "Good boy, eyes on me. You're okay. Just gotta..." He reached for a pair of sheers from his utility belt before snipping carefully, the bindings falling away from his paws before Shiro continued to inspect the collar. It was a strange thing, lightly glowing blue like Kosmo's fur. He finally found the clasp on it and detached it, giving the back of his neck a vigorous rub. "There we go. All better," he soothed before holding up the collar, passing it along to Pidge. "Can you get anything from this?" he asked. 

Pidge hummed and scanned it. "This is the source of the weird reading," they confirmed. "It looks like a jammer, but I don't know what it's jamming.”

Kosmo stood up as soon as Shiro freed him from the restraints and shook as if he just got out of the bath. He lifted his nose, sniffing before starting to walk closer to the exit of the room. Kosmo lowered his nose, nearly touching the floor. He took a few more sniffs before leaving the room in a hurry, turning right out the door and heading farther down the hallway.

Shiro's eyes widened a little. "Kosmo, slow down," he urged as he started following the wolf, eyes scanning around as he walked behind him. He could hear Pidge a few steps behind, far enough to not get caught up in anything if they were surprised but close enough to stay in contact.

Kosmo ran down the hall before stopping at a door, pawing at it feverishly and barking. He looked down the hallway at Shiro and Pidge, scratching at the door hoping his message got across.

Shiro tilted his head in confusion. "Keith?" he said quietly, hopefully as he moved forward toward Kosmo. The barking eliminated the need to be stealthy, at least, so he wasted no time in barging in through the door, sweeping with the flashlight again.

"Did you find him?' Lance asked, heart jumping into his throat. "Is he okay?"

Kosmo ran into the room the moment it was open, coming to a stop in front of a prone form. Keith laid on his side, hands and feet bound tightly. His hair was a mess and hid half of his face. Red was splattered across his face and dotted the walls and floor, a small puddle beneath him. 

Kosmo whimpered, nose lightly touching Keith's bruised cheek and then chest. Keith's brows knitted together, coughing weakly and breathing soft and shaky afterwards as his face smoothed back out before pained, tired purple eyes eased open a sliver. "Kosmo?" The word was more mouthed than actually said.

Shiro moved into the room after finding nobody hiding in the corners. "Keith," he breathed, relief in his voice. "Lance, I've got him," he called through the comms as he knelt down near his boyfriend. Only then did he take in the blood under him, on his face and smeared around. "Keith," he repeated worriedly.

"What?" Lance asked. He had heard bits and pieces of what Shiro said, syllables here and there, but the rest was static. "Shiro? Did you find him?" Lance took a hand off his rifle to tap at his helmet, heart hammering in his chest.

Shiro could only hear static and a few syllables from Lance. "Lance. I have Keith," he repeated, trying to speak slowly to get the message through. "Pidge?"

"We're too far underground. Probably won't get comms back ‘til we go toward the surface," they supplied as they kept scanning the hallway.

Keith's eyes shifted up towards Shiro, the furrow in his brow reappearing before his eyes looked up at Kosmo again as if slowly figuring something out. His eyes turned back to Shiro. "Tak-" was all that was whispered before Keith winced, his mouth and throat too dry to continue.

Shiro's attention diverted back to the man on the floor in front of him. "Keith," he said again, relief clear. "You're okay. We've got you. We're gonna get you out of here." He wanted to hold him, kiss him and never let go, but there needed to be other things taking place. He set to work undoing the bindings on Keith's wrists, intent on freeing him.

Lance made a frustrated noise when all he heard was static again from Shiro and Pidge. "Hunk, can you hear them at all? Do they have Keith?"

"Sorry, buddy. I can't hear them either."

"Shit," Lance muttered, squeezing his eyes shut. He just wanted to know what was going on.

Keith couldn't stop the wince as Shiro tugged at his tender wrists. Faintly, he could feel Kosmo touching his cheek and temple with his nose, trying to keep him awake. "'Ance?" he tried to whisper, wondering where his other mate was. Was he okay? Did something happen to him? Why did Shiro come with Pidge?

Shiro shushed gently. "Lance is outside providing cover," he explained as he finally got the binding loose, wincing as it came away bloody from where Keith had clearly been tugging on them. "Pidge, set proximity sensors and come in here to do a medical scan," he ordered.

Pidge fired a few objects down the hallway and headed inside the room, sucking in a breath when they saw Keith's state. They steeled themselves and moved forward, grabbing an item from their belt and running it along his form. "Dehydration and malnourishment. Contusions, bruising. He's suffering aftereffects of near drowning," they supplied, growing uneasier as they kept reading down the list. "Lacerations on the back," they said as they moved to see the whip marks, violent red against the black of his suit. 

Shiro clenched his teeth. That was a laundry list of shitty things, but they were all fixable.

"I'm sure everything's okay," Hunk said, trying to comfort his best friend. "They rescued Kosmo and he probably led them to Keith. They'll be out soon and we can all go home."

"Yeah," Lance said quietly, lowering his hand back to his rifle and closing his eyes again, before looking back through the sight. He checked on Hunk first, then slowly began to look over the area again. "Still clear."

Keith couldn't restrain the whimper as Shiro peeled away the restraint. He wished he could move his arms, experience his new freedom, but they felt like lead and refused to move. He glanced up at Pidge as they did a medical scan on him. He let his eyes close, tired. Sleep was good. Sleep sounded nice. 

Kosmo whined, pawing at the floor, a soft yip coming from him as he watched Keith's eyes close.

Shiro's eyes followed Kosmo before going back to Keith. "Jagiya, gotta stay awake for me, okay? At least until we get back to the lion," he urged as he moved to undo Keith's feet.

Keith murmured something unintelligible as his eyes remained closed. Kosmo whined, laying down close to Keith's head, giving his cheek a small lick, then another one when Keith's eyelids didn't move.

Shiro undid Keith's leg bindings, those ones thankfully coming away clean, before moving back up. "Keith, no. Stay awake," he urged as he shook him lightly, trying to gain his attention.

Pidge stood. "Shiro, we've gotta get him out of here. We can't _do_ anything here," they stressed.

Shiro nodded, weighing his options before he mentally shrugged and lifted Keith in his arms. "I'm relying on you for combat," he told Pidge, who nodded and started guiding them back out of the cave.

A distressed chirp came from Keith, his head falling back as Shiro picked him up. The young man's brow furrowed as his battered body was manhandled. Kosmo walked beside Shiro, his eyes never leaving Keith's body.

"Clear here, too," Hunk answered.

Lance looked at the area around his best friend, before slowly panning up to look around again. He was trying so hard to focus, but his mind wouldn't let him forget that Keith was somewhere in that cave and he didn't know if he was alright or not. He shut his eyes tight. _Focus._ He chided himself.

Suddenly, a white hot pain shot through his right shoulder. He cried out in surprise and pain and he felt the blood begin to drip down his arm.

"Lance?" Hunk called, worry laced in his voice.

"Shit," Lance hissed, flipping onto his back, bringing his rifle in front of him, ready to shoot, but he didn't see anyone. _They must be hiding behind one of the rocks,_ he thought, quickly moving into a crouch. "I've got hostiles on my six. They clipped me. I don't have direct sight. Changing location," Lance said quietly, moving low to the ground and diving behind a large rock nearby as another shot whizzed by his ear. "Hunk, buddy, try to get in touch with Shiro and Pidge, tell them I've been compromised and they need to hurry up. I don't know how many there are."

"Shouldn't I get Yellow?" Hunk asked. "You need help."

"Hunk, please. Make sure they get out okay. I'll hold them off."

"...Okay. Once I make contact I'll be back to help you," Hunk replied, and Lance looked just in time to see Hunk run into the mouth of the cave.

Lance leaned around the side of the rock and spotted one of the Galrans, quickly aiming and firing, watching as the Galran fell, before he pulled back behind the rock and looked for a better hiding place.

"Shiro? Pidge?" Hunk called through the comms as he moved further into the cave.

_Please find them soon,_ Lance thought.

Shiro and Pidge were about halfway out of the cave, walking cautiously with Kosmo between them, when they heard Hunk's staticky but intact voice through the comms. "Hunk?" Pidge responded, voice a little high in their stress. "We shouldn't hear you for another couple hundred meters. Why are you in here?"

Shiro stiffened. "Why aren't you covering Lance," he barked as he picked up the pace, Pidge following suit.

"We've got hostiles up top. He sent me to tell you. You should still have a clear shot to the lions, but hurry. I'm gonna go help him," Hunk replied, promptly turning around and running back out of the cave.

Lance darted behind another rock. He looked around quickly, taking in everything before deciding on a plan of action. He scaled the rock he was behind and laid down on his stomach, smiling at his new vantage point. From here he could spot a few of them trying to hide. "Gotcha," he whispered.

"Lance?" Hunk called.

"Did you find them?"

"I gave them your message and came right back. I didn’t have to go too far so they must be on their way out, meaning they've got Keith."

Lance sighed in relief and picked off the targets he could see, watching as each of them fell. "Good. I think I may have taken care of our problem up here. Go ahead and get back in yellow. Make sure they get out safely and I'll follow behind."

"Lance..."

"I've got no movement. I'm fine," Lance said, wincing at the pull in his shoulder.

"Okay. Be careful."

"Sure thing."

Lance continued to scan the area carefully, looking for any movement. Not seeing any, he decided to climb down from his perch. He deactivated his bayard momentarily to make the descent easier and made his way back onto the ground.

Lance turned around and came face to face with five Galrans, all smirking at him. Lance immediately went to activate his bayard, but one of them shot it out of his hand and it clattered to the ground a little ways away.

"Hunk! I-" Lance started to call for help before letting out a choked noise as a large hand closed over his windpipe and shoved him back into the rock behind him. With his other hand the Galran ripped off his helmet and threw it away from them.

"Look what we have here," the Galran said, smiling triumphantly. "The blue paladin of Voltron."

The others snickered as Lance clawed at the hand around his neck.

"Pathetic," he said, throwing Lance to the ground.

Lance coughed and gasped as he tried to fill his lungs with air. His eyes darted around, looking for anything that could help him. His bayard lay close by and he slowly began inching his left hand toward it.

"We snuck up on you twice, blue paladin. You're not a very good lookout. And you're not very subtle," the Galran added just as Lance's fingers were about to close around his bayard.

The Galran stepped forward, kicking the bayard further away then stomped his foot down hard on Lance's wrist.

Lance yelled in agony as he felt his bones snap, his vision going white for a moment as nausea rolled through him. Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"Such lovely sounds you make, paladin," the Galran said, reaching down to grab Lance once again by the neck, hoisting him up in the air.

Lance struggled to get free, gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder and wrist. "Thanks," he managed to bite out.

The Galran laughed. "You're cheeky, I like that."

"I'm full of surprises." Lance gasped as he kicked the Galran in his stomach, causing him to let go. Lance dropped to his feet and took off, snatching up his bayard as he ran.

"Get him!"

Lance ran in a serpentine pattern, dodging behind as many rocks as he could, trying to get back to the lions. A flash of heat seared his side as one of the shots grazed him and then he stumbled. Something had tangled itself in his feet and he fell to the ground, landing on his wounded shoulder. He hissed in pain and tried to get up, but suddenly there was a weight on top of him. He looked up into the eyes of the Galran above him and glared.

The Galran gripped his face, digging his nails into his skin. "Going so soon? But I haven’t even paid you back for all the lives you took." He snarled, raking his nails across Lance's cheek, leaving little trails of blood that began to run slowly towards his ear.

"I'll take a personal check," Lance said. He wasn’t really in a position to be goading anyone, but sometimes his mouth just ran on it's own.

Lance's head snapped to the side as the Galrans fist connected with his jaw.

"It was only funny the first time."

Lance spat out some blood, but otherwise kept his mouth shut this time. His fingers constricted around his bayard. They hadn't yet noticed that he was still holding it. _Good,_ he thought as he activated it and shot quickly, downing one Galran and clipping another before the Galran on top of him grabbed his jaw and slammed his head into the ground, hard. Lance's vision danced and he couldn't resist much as they pried the bayard from his hand.

"You son of a b-" the Galran was cut off by a loud roar and Lance could barely make out the sight of yellow dropping from the sky with his blurry vision.

Yellow swatted two of them away before quickly lowering its head so Hunk could step out, shooting the remaining Galran that was still sitting on Lance.

The large body fell over, landing partially on Lance's arm, just enough to jolt his wrist and send a shooting pain through his body and causing him to cry out.

"Lance!" Hunk called, hurrying over and rolling the body off of Lance, causing him to gasp in pain again. "Are you alright?"

Lance blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision, but it was growing darker. "Hunk," he mumbled, "I don’t-"

"I got you, buddy," Hunk said, carefully lifting Lance into his arms, making sure to grab his deactivated bayard before carrying him into Yellow.

"Pidge we’re gonna need to tow blue. Lance is out of commission," Hunk said, settling Lance in a chair and sitting down in the pilot's seat.

Shiro swore and moved faster, carrying Keith as quickly as he dared, emerging into the brightness of the day just as Yellow dropped out of the sky onto an outcropping a ways away and roared. Kosmo followed as he moved to the Black Lion, getting inside and strapping Keith into a chair, making sure he was doing okay.

Pidge strapped themselves into their chair. "Affirmative. Since you two have injured I'll take up the rear with the tow line," they instructed. "Sending your coordinates for the Atlas," they said as they ejected a tow line from the side of Green, which fastened onto Blue.

"Thanks Pidge." Hunk asked, taking off in Yellow and following the coordinates he’d been sent.

"Keith?" Lance mumbled.

"He’s okay, buddy. Shiro has him and we’re all headed back to the Atlas."

"Keith...Shiro..." Lance muttered, his eyes falling shut.

Hunk turned to look briefly at Lance and did a double take.

"No, no no! Lance, you gotta stay awake for me okay? I think you've got a concussion," Hunk said, asking Yellow to pilot for a minute so he could look after his friend. 

Yellow growled an affirmative.

Hunk knelt before Lance and gently tapped his cheek with the pads of his fingers. "Stay awake for me, okay?"

Lance hummed, but didn’t open his eyes.

"Lance?" Hunk said, his voice verging on panicking. "We need to hurry," he said to Yellow, who sped up slightly in response. He knew they were going as fast as they could.

Shiro's stomach sank a bit as Keith remained unresponsive. He couldn't tell if it was due to blood loss, possible concussion, or other trauma. The only thing he could do was get him to the Atlas as fast as possible. He rushed over to the pilot's seat, sitting down and not bothering to strap himself in before he was lifting off. "Pidge, I'm gonna-"

"Go," they said, voice firm. "Get him what he needs. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Shiro nodded through the comms link and headed out, watching Green take off slowly with Blue in tow as they headed out of the atmosphere and toward the Atlas.

"Hello, Atlas? This is the Yellow Paladin," Hunk said, opening a channel to the Atlas and hoping they were in range. He watched as the Black Lion steadily overtook them, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He didn't think Keith was doing too hot either. Hunk looked back at Lance who was blinking back at him slowly, trying to keep his promise to stay awake. "Just a bit further, buddy."

Allura's image blinked onto Hunk's screen. "Yellow Paladin, this is Atlas," she started, brow creased with worry. "Have you located the Red Paladin?"

Hunk breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I don't think he's okay though. And Lance is in a pretty bad way too. Requesting medical to meet us in the docking bay. Shiro should be getting back first."

Shiro's image blinked onto the screen, joining their call. "Atlas, this is the Black Paladin. Also requesting medical to the docking bay upon landing." His face was serious. "Estimate ten minutes to rendezvous point. Twelve for the Yellow Lion."

Allura nodded. "We'll have two teams ready for your arrival. Can you give us a general status for both of them?"

Shiro nodded. "Keith's unconscious from apparent blood loss, but I'm not 100% sure on that. He has open wounds and bruising. No idea on concussion or internal injuries."

Allura nodded, tapping her keyboard to relay the information to the medical team. "Hunk, what about Lance?"

"I think he might have a concussion. I'm trying to keep him awake though. Um, a few gunshot wounds, his wrist is really swollen, I think it may be broken, his heads bleeding a bit and he's got some scratches and bruises," Hunk answered, looking behind him. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Lance's were closed. "Lance!" He called, jumping out of his seat and over to his friend. "You promised me you'd stay awake, buddy.”

Lance groaned. "'M trying," he mumbled.

Shiro and Allura's faces both flashed with surprise at 'gunshot wounds'. He gritted his teeth as Hunk jumped out of his seat to wake Lance up. 

Allura composed herself again. "We'll pass this along to medical. Be safe." She nodded before cutting the comms link.

Kosmo whimpered as he approached Keith, nose nudging the limp hand. He whined as he sat down, gently pawing at Keith's right foot before moving towards Shiro. He took Shiro's sleeve delicately into his mouth, tugging him towards Keith.

Shiro looked down at Kosmo in surprise. "What's up, buddy," he murmured as he set the lion on autopilot, a low growl in his ear as he moved back to his boyfriend.

Kosmo let go of Shiro's sleeve, ears falling back as he headed back towards Keith. He looked at Shiro, whining. His eyes were sad and confused. He sat down beside Keith's legs, his head resting on Keith's knee as the wolf looked up at Keith's pain-pinched face.

Shiro frowned and pet Kosmo on the head. "I know, buddy. We're going to get him help as soon as we can."

Kosmo glanced up at Shiro before they returned to Keith, soft whines leaving the wolf occasionally, especially when Keith failed to acknowledge his nudges.

Shiro frowned, not sure how best to help Kosmo. He kept petting him until they got close to Atlas and he returned to the pilot's seat to navigate them in.

"We're almost there," Hunk said. "Hold on, Lance. Just look at me, that's it. Yellow, can you take us in?"

Yellow growled and slowed down a bit as they got closer.

Lance hummed, eyes trying to focus on Hunk's and failing. He was so tired, and pain kept shooting through his body from various starting points. He hurt all over and just wanted to sleep.

Shiro carefully maneuvered Black into the bay, landing with a quiet growl near the medical team. After he docked, he opened the bay doors to the lion and the team rushed on, stretcher in tow. Shiro did his best to keep Kosmo out of the way.

One knelt down next to Keith, taking his pulse. "Cadet Kogane, can you hear me?"

Keith's eyelids fluttered. "Wha-" He looked around, obviously not fully aware of what was going on.

The medic rattled off some numbers to his team. "Cadet, do you know where you are? Or where your mission was?"

Keith's head tipped forward before he shakingly lifted it. Keith looked around, his brow furrowing. "Atl-" Coughs broke Keith's word, dry and shaking his whole weakened body.

Shiro stepped forward, but held himself back at the last moment. Keith had to go through regular assessment procedures before he could intervene.

The medic nodded and started unstrapping Keith from the seat. "Right. Okay, I don't think we're walking you out of here so we're going to put you on a stretcher. We'll try to make it as easy as possible, but it's probably still going to hurt," he warned, nodding to his team to prepare to move Keith.

Keith's eyes slowly slid shut, whispering Shiro's birth name as he pitched forward slightly, his brow furrowed in pain.

Shiro moved forward involuntarily, surprised when the medic caught Keith. The other man looked back at him. "Commander, under any other circumstance I'd let you, but-"

Shiro nodded, straightening. "You're right. You're better equipped," he agreed. "Can I go with?" The medic nodded. "Keith, I'm right here. I'll stay with you."

Keith could feel his body shaking, the pain becoming stronger as he became more aware. It felt like agony. His back felt like it was on fire, the numerous lash marks there like individual epicenters that radiated hurt. His body felt like one giant bruise. And the thirst...he would almost kill for a glass of water.

The unit moved quickly, transferring Keith over as painlessly as possible. Shiro clenched his fists, bracing himself for Keith's reaction.

Keith whimpered, biting his bottom lip as he was moved. A breathless gasp left his lips when his back touched the gurney. "On his side, on his side," someone ordered. 

The unit gently rolled him, keeping his back exposed. Keith gritted his teeth, his breathing quick and sharp as his muscles shook from the pain he was in. 

"We need to get him to the med bay, stat," the unit lead stated, starting to push the stretcher.

Shiro bit his lip and followed behind, fist still clenched. He hated seeing Keith injured, especially like this. He'd give anything to make it better.

Yellow began the descent into the hanger and Hunk watched as they wheeled a gurney out of Black. He could just make out Keith laying on his side surrounded by medical staff, Shiro and Kosmo following closely behind.

He turned back to Lance and moved to undo the seat belts. "We're here, buddy. They've got Keith on the way to the med bay already."

Lance's muddled brain was trying to focus on something, but it wasn't coming through and he just blinked as Hunk undid the belts and talked. Suddenly it clicked and Lance surged forward, wincing in pain as he pulled at his various wounds.

"Keith. I need to see Keith."

Hunk caught Lance when he moved forward and helped him stand, trying not to notice how his hand was slowly being covered in the blood oozing from Lance's shoulder. "You will, Lance. But first we have to get you patched up."

Lance's legs wobbled and he shut his eyes as his head started pounding fiercely at the sudden movement. "No. I need to...see Keith. Shiro."

Hunk steadied Lance as Yellow finally landed. "Shiro's with Keith. He'll take care of him, he'll be fine. Let me take care of _you_ and then I'll take you to see them, okay?"

Lance blinked, his vision blurring again and his knees buckled.

Hunk caught him as he fell and lifted him carefully into his arms. Yellow opened its mouth and Hunk carried Lance out into the hanger.

A medic came rushing up, slipping latex gloves on her hands before she placed two fingers against the side of Lance's neck. "You can place him on the gurney, Cadet Garret. Cadet McClain, do you know where you are?" she said, nodding towards it before mentally counting Lance's pulse.

Lance squeezed his eyes shut against the pain as Hunk lowered him on the gurney. "Where's Keith," he gasped out.

"Cadet Kogane is on his way to the med bay. Right now we need to focus on you," the medic said as she pulled out a small pen light, flashing it in each of Lance's eyes, measuring pupil reaction. "Do you know where you are?" she asked again.

Lance shied away from the light. "I need...Keith," he mumbled, a ringing steadily mounting in his ears.

"You need to answer my question or you won't be seeing your boyfriend for at least 72 hours. I need to know your cognitive skills to determine how bad your concussion is, so for the last time Cadet, do you know where you are?" the medic asked, her eyes narrowing.

Lance blinked as he tried to focus on the words through the ringing. "At-las?"

"Thank you." The medic sighed. "Date of birth?" she asked as the tech began to wheel him away, headed towards the med bay.

Lance moved his right hand slowly to rub at his ear. The ringing wouldn't go away, and the room was spinning every time he opened his eyes. Maybe he'd just keep them closed. "July...28th."

The medic nodded, walking through the double doors into the med bay. A doctor and nurse stood ready, waiting for Lance. "Cadet McClain, two gunshot wounds and a possible fracture to the left radius or ulna," the medic reported off, "conscious with altered status, possible grade 2 or grade 3." 

The doctor nodded, his eyes shifting towards Hunk. "Did he lose consciousness at all after his head injury?" he asked.

"If he did, it was only for a few seconds. I tried to keep him awake," Hunk said.

The doctor nodded. "Okay, Cadet Garret, you're going to have to stay here," he said, the nurse taking the tech's spot in starting to wheel Lance away. "Nurse Choi will be back to give you an update as soon as we can," he reassured. He followed after the nurse as she set Lance in a trauma room. 

"I'm Doctor Kim and I will be treating you today," the doctor stated calmly. "Now, I know Medic Zyler gave you a work up but I need to ask my own questions," he said as Nurse Choi started to hook Lance up to a myriad of machines, Lance's blood pressure and pulse coming to life on a screen. 

"Now, I'll start simple," Doctor Kim started as the Nurse peeled off Lance's chest piece and then moved onto the leg and arm armor. "Name?"

Lance hissed as the movement tugged at his wounds. "Lance McClain," he mumbled, slurring slightly.

The doctor nodded. "Age?" he inquired, cutting the body suit away from the shoulder wound, peering at it. "Get me two units of type specific," he requested. "And get him started on a drip of morphine, 2 every 4 hours to begin with," he said, the nurse nodding before rushing away.

"18?"

Once again the doctor nodded. "Last question. What's your boyfriend's name?" he asked with a smirk. The couple was a bit of talk, especially between the female staff as they dreamed of finding a relationship as wholesome as the two cadets had. The nurse returned, hanging a bag of blood and a clear IV bag on the pole. She quickly placed an IV in the back of Lance's hand and hooked him up. "Small grazing wound on his side as well," she reported, the doctor switching sides when they did.

Lance furrowed his brows. "Keith Kogane. Where-?" He started to try to sit up.

The doctor gently pushed Lance back. "Down loverboy," he joked. "Cadet Kogane is getting his own work up as we speak. You need to focus on yourself right now so you can see him when he can see visitors," he said. "You have a grade 3 concussion, that requires us to keep you here for 24 hours," he said. "And we need to patch you up. You don't want Cadet Kogane to see you like this, do you?"

"He's seen worse," Lance mumbled, but stayed laying against the bed, the movement had made him dizzier and his stomach churned unpleasantly. "At least...is he okay? Please, I need..." _to know_.

"He's being evaluated," Doctor Kim stated, glancing at the wrist. "Your wrist does appear broken, Cadet. Nothing surgery can't fix though but first," he looked towards the nurses, "get the portable x-ray and Doctor Baglin as well," he asked.

A few minutes later, the nurse wheeled in a large machine with which Doctor Kim quickly took an x-ray of Lance's wrist. 

It only took a couple of minutes for the film to come in and along with it another doctor, the older man holding it up towards the light. "Fractured ulna and the radius is completely broken. He'll need surgery and 4 to 5 weeks in a cast," he diagnosed. 

Doctor Kim nodded. "Well you heard the man, surgery for you and then maybe, if you're good, you can see your boyfriend, fair trade?" he asked.

Lance groaned. _4 to 5 weeks?_ Through the haze in his brain, he knew that that was a long time that he didn't want to wait. He nodded though, his energy leaving again.

"Okay. Nurse Choi will wheel you to surgery where they'll put you under, fix your wrist and patch up your other wounds," he explained. "I'll see you when you wake up and we'll see how Cadet Kogane is doing and if he's up for visitors," he said before nodding at the nurse. Slowly, she started to push him out of the trauma room and towards the surgical wing.

Shiro followed down the hall as the medical personnel chattered, trying to keep Kosmo calm as they walked. Gods, he knew how the dog felt, but they had to stay calm. They were doing all they could.

Shiro watched as Keith was wheeled into a trauma room, hanging back to give them space to work.

The doctor pulled on a fresh pair of gloves as Keith was wheeled into the room. "CBC and tox screen stat," he ordered. "Get an IV going with a banana bag and get me 2 units type specific," he added as he started to run diagnostics on Keith, checking pupil reactivity and breath sounds. "Cut away the suit, need to know what I'm working with. Cadet, you with us?"

Keith blinked, dots in front of his eyes from the penlight. "Wha-" he breathed out. 

"Did anybody run a cognitive test on him?" the doctor gritted out. "Cadet, can you tell me your name?" he asked. 

Keith's gaze floated around the room, failing to focus on anything. The Doctor snapped his fingers in front of Keith's face, trying to gain his attention. "Cadet?"

Keith glanced at the doctor before his eyes slid shut. The doctor frowned before glancing up at the screen that showed Keith's rapid heartbeat and low blood pressure. 

"Push a unit of blood into him," he ordered the nurse, as he started to peel away the suit, wincing as bruises and various smaller wounds were exposed. "We need to get his pressure up.”

Shiro felt like he was going to be sick. He leaned against the wall, not trusting his legs to support him entirely. _What the fuck happened to him,_ Shiro wondered in horror as the suit was cut away.

The doctor headed towards Keiths exposed back, frowning when he took in the whip marks that crisscrossed the pale skin. Six distinct lines stood out to him, red and still bleeding heavily. "What did they do to you kid?" the doctor whispered, horrified before lightly touching the abused skin. Keith instinctually pulled away from the touch. "Reactive to pain, that's good," the nurse murmured, which the doctor nodded to. 

"Get him started on a 3 mg morphine drip, Laogai," the doctor requested. "Kid's probably in a lot of pain."

The nurse nodded and dipped out of the room to grab the narcotic. The doctor frowned, the marks were narrow but deep and would probably require at least some surgical glue to repair them. The glue would give the skin the best shot to heal without scarring but deep down the doctor knew that was a lost cause. 

He headed back towards Keith's front and started checking the young man's ribs, happy to find no obvious breaks but he wouldn't be surprised if one or two were fractured from the bruising he could see. 

He glanced at Keith when he coughed, then whimpered as it pulled at his battered body.

A few minutes later, Laogai returned, morphine and paperwork in hand. "Test results came back," she said, handing over the sheets.

The doctor grabbed them and nodded when he saw that the tox screen came back negative before he started to look at the numbers from the blood test. "Give him a broad antibiotic as well, Ticacillin should be good and shouldn't react with his Galran blood." He looked up when he heard metal instruments hit the floor. "Nurse Laogai?"

"Sorry. It just, uh, slipped out of my hands," she explained as she hurriedly picked up the instruments she dropped.

The doctor nodded slowly. "Also be sure it’s documented that he's on a mostly fluid diet for 48 hours, these numbers...he probably hasn't had anything to eat or drink since he left the Atlas." The doctor frowned as Keith coughed again.

Setting down the paperwork, he listened to Keith's lungs once more, his frown deepening when he heard the faint sounds of fluid buildup. "Put him on nasal oxygen when he gets transferred to ICU, sounds like he has fluid in his lungs," he added before sighing. "Can you grab me 2 suture kits, some glue and tell Commander Shirogane to come in, I want to brief him on what happened to his Paladin," he said, peeling off his bloody gloves.

Shiro steeled himself and kicked off the wall. "No need, I'm already here," he announced himself as he stepped forward, Kosmo sticking by his side. He could tell it was a challenge for the wolf not to go over to Keith immediately. He glanced at the nurse before looking back to the doctor.

The doctor turned around. "My apologies, Commander," he said. "I'm Doctor Chiyeon Lee. Did you hear everything before or did you want me to run through everything for you?" he asked.

Shiro shook his head, dismissing the apology. "I heard bits and pieces, but I'd appreciate a whole picture," he requested.

The doctor nodded. "Cadet Kogane..." he frowned. "I'm sorry, I honestly don't know where to start. He has obvious whip marks across his back with 6 fairly fresh ones that are still bleeding. I'm hoping to seal those with surgical glue and wrap them in gauze. They'll have to be changed every four hours. He has heavy bruising and contusions that appear to be from physical assaults. He seems pretty out of it but that is probably from blood loss and lack of food and water. We'll do a cognitive test after he gets some nutrients in him. I am worried however about his breathing. There appears to be fluid in his lungs. Was there anything from where you picked him up from that might give us a source?"

Shiro scoured his memory from the room where Keith had been held. Bindings, a thin tarp covering part of the room, but nothing else. He shook his head. "You mean like he inhaled it, not something medical, right?"

Doctor Lee shook his head. "There's no obvious sign that it’s medical. He doesn't have any broken ribs, fractured probably, but not broken for it to have pierced a lung. No high fever to suggest fluid build up from an illness. It’s almost on par to what I've heard in near drowning patients," he said.

Shiro's eyes widened. "How long could he have sustained this state on his own, without intervention?" The base had looked abandoned, but only very recently. If someone had been around even a day prior…

The Doctor frowned before blowing out a deep breath. "For the fluid in his lungs, he would've had to inhale a good amount of water and not be able to cough it up, which his body is still trying to do but it's battling exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition. If this was a stereotypical drowning situation, if I heard these lungs, I would assume the situation happened less than 24 hours ago," he explained. "Quite honestly Commander, if you didn't find Cadet Kogane within 24 to 36 hours, we would probably be having a very different conversation. His body wasn't going to hold out much longer."

Shiro felt lost, like he was going to pass out from the news. He had been a day from losing Keith. A single day. If the lions hadn't told them, if they didn't have that bond...

He felt soft fur under his left hand, a quiet whine. He looked down to see Kosmo pressing his head into Shiro's palm. He petted him in response, scratching behind his ears. 

"So we give him food and water, stitch him up and let him rest, and wait for him to cough the rest of it up?" Shiro asked, back in the mindset to ask questions again. "No surgery?"

Doctor Lee shook his head. "I don't want to put his body under any more stress than we have to," he explained. "I'm hoping that as his body gains a little bit of strength within the next few hours, he'll be able to expunge the fluid himself, but if he's unable we'll have to drain his lungs surgically so he doesn't develop any infections or illnesses," he said. "I'm going to patch him up and then he'll be moved to an ICU room. If you like, you can sit with him until the nurse gets back with the supplies. It will only be a few minutes but I'm sure Cadet Kogane could use a familiar face," the doctor said before heading towards the corner of the room to start washing his hands and doing his own prep.

Shiro nodded. That seemed reasonable. He moved over to the side of the bed Keith was rotated toward, dragging the little plastic chair over to take a seat. He reached out to carefully take Keith's hand. "Jagiya, you still with me?" He tried to make his voice teasing, but it still fell a little flat.

Keith's eyelids fluttered at the sound of Shiro's voice, the brows knitting together slightly. Beside Shiro, Kosmo whined, pushing his nose lightly against Keith's wrinkled forehead. Slowly, purple irises peeked out from drooping lids. "'Kas-hi?"

Unseen by both, the doctor smirked as he washed his hands. Apparently the rumors were true. His smirk softened into a smile. _Kid’s gonna need all the support he can get,_ he thought.

Shiro smiled. "Yep, right here," he responded, leaning closer. He used his other hand to pet the fur along Kosmo's back. "You gave us quite the scare, you know."

Keith's eyes slid over towards Kosmo. "Kos-" Keith's face scrunched up in confusion. "Not dead?" he muttered.

Shiro looked confused. "He was tied up in another room. They made you think he was dead?" He looked sad at that, squeezing Keith's hand lightly.

"No. Me." Keith replied, his eyes closing. "-nce?"

Shiro paused at that. They'd made Keith think he was dead? "Lance was on the rescue team. He's..." Shiro paused. He wasn't really sure how Lance was, he had been so focused on Keith. He knew it wasn't good. What would help Keith heal without worry? "He got a little banged up, but they're taking care of him in another room," he finally settled on. It wasn't a lie, just a little understatement.

A broken chirp came from Keith at the news about Lance, his eyes closing. "Bad?" he inquired quietly, his voice hoarse and breathy. 

Nurse Laogai reentered the room. Doctor Lee shook his head. "Give them a few minutes," he said softly.

Shiro hesitated. He finally decided that being honest was probably the best policy in this situation - he always had been with Keith in the past. "Concussion. Couple gunshot wounds. I don't think it's life threatening, but it's not the best," he admitted.

Keith frowned. "Fuck," he whispered, a thrum of fear coursing through him. "You?" he mouthed. If Lance was hurt, did that mean Shiro was as well?

Shiro shook his head. "I was getting you. We didn't run into anyone on the way in or out. Pidge and Hunk are fine," he tried to comfort, squeezing his hand again. "We'll all be okay. We're all safe."

Keith nodded languidly, wincing slightly. His whole body felt like it was on fire, especially his back. Kosmo whined quietly, shuffling slightly, unsure if he could approach the bed. He settled with placing his chin on the edge of the bed, his large yellow eyes peering up at Keith's bruised face. Keith's right hand twitched slightly as if he tried to move it but the rest of the limb wouldn't move. His eyes slid closed, a lone tear slipping down his cheek, smearing the filth that was on it. 

Doctor Lee respectfully turned himself and Nurse Laogai around to give the two a bit more privacy. "Get some anesthesia. We'll put him out while we patch him up, give him a little mercy."

Shiro chanced a glance toward the others in the room, seeing them turned. He leaned in to press a kiss to Keith's hair and wipe his tear away. "You'll be back up and around in no time," Shiro murmured as he pet Kosmo for Keith.

A corner of Keith's lips quirked upward before it smoothed back out to its pained expression. "Hurt," he whispered before coughing, a soft whimper being pulled from him once he was done.

Shiro made a soft noise. "I know. I think they're going to give you something for that soon," he comforted as he looked over to Dr. Lee and the nurse for confirmation. He knew they were probably listening in, even if they were giving the illusion of privacy.

The doctor nodded, gently nudging the nurse to grab the aforementioned anesthesia. She returned moments later and the doctor headed towards the bed. He injected the medicine into Keith's IV line. "We're going to put you to sleep so we can patch you up, Cadet. When you wake up, you'll be in a different room cleaned up and bandaged," he reassured before looking towards Shiro. "He'll fall asleep in about a minute, then I'm going to request that you leave. Nurse Laogai will escort you to the room he'll be transferred to once I'm done." He held back letting him know that Lance was moved to surgery, deciding to wait until after Keith went under to tell the Commander that bit of information.

Shiro nodded as he looked up at the doctor before turning back to Keith. "I'll see you before you know it." He smiled at Keith.

Keith hummed, his eyes sliding shut. A few seconds later, his body relaxed as the medicine fully kicked in. 

Doctor Lee headed over, placing a light hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Commander, Nurse Laogai will take you out now," he said softly. "Cadet McClain was taken into surgery for his wrist, nothing life threatening," he reassured. "He should be out in an hour or two."

Shiro watched Keith sleep for a moment before he nodded and stood. "Thanks for being accommodating in waiting to update me," he responded in a similar, quiet tone. "I don't want Cadet Kogane to be too upset, but I don't want to lie to him either," he explained. It was a delicate balance he was still learning, even now.

Doctor Lee nodded. "I understand Commander," he said softly. "I hate to kick you out as well but I don't want Cadet Kogane to wake up while I'm cleaning out his wounds and we only gave him a small dose."

Shiro nodded. "Understood. I'll leave you to it," he said as he headed over to the door. "Thank you again," he said as he stepped out, waiting for the nurse to guide him to Keith's new room.

Nurse Laogai gestured for Shiro to follow her down the hallway. She glanced at him as they walked, a small frown on her face. "I didn't know Cadet Kogane was Galran," she stated, her tone indifferent.

Shiro followed behind, glancing back at her after she spoke. "His mother is one of the Blade of Marmora," he informed her as they walked. He was having trouble placing her tone - it wasn't anything like how she had sounded earlier. "We accept all races in the coalition, so we didn't see a need to make it common knowledge."

She hummed softly. "Was just a shock is all. He looks human so I didn't know he was a hybrid until Doctor Lee said anything."

Shiro nodded. "He doesn't usually exhibit Galran traits, so that's an easy assumption to make," he agreed. He neglected to tack on the common phrase about assuming things. "It's usually only significant when it comes to medication or medical visits."

The nurse nodded before gesturing towards an empty room. "Here's the room that Cadet Kogane will be placed in once the doctor is finished which should be within thirty to forty-five minutes. Cadet McClain will be released from surgery in about an hour and a half and will be placed within the same room once he's been cleared by post-op. Any questions, Commander?"

Shiro blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected the two of them to be placed in the same room. One of the benefits of being out to the ship, he supposed. He shook his head. "I don't think so. Thank you, Nurse Laogai." He gave her a small smile. Even if she had acted a bit oddly about the Galran thing, she had been professional.

The Nurse nodded before walking away, a deep frown appearing once she had her back towards Shiro as she walked away.

Now knowing where the room was and that he had some time before Keith would be taken to the room, Shiro decided to clean up and change, quickly heading to his quarters to switch out of his paladin armor and into more comfortable clothes before heading back to the med bay.


	2. Chapter 2

Forty-three minutes later, Keith was rolled into the ICU room, cleaner and bandaged heavily. He laid on his back now, his matted hair sprawled across the white pillowcase. His face was clean as were his hands. White bandages peeked out from the loose fitting soft mint colored scrub top he was changed into. Bandages were wrapped around his exposed arms, an IV still in his right hand. Once Nurse Laogai locked the wheels on the bed, when it was in place, she placed a cannula into his nose and turned the oxygen on. "He should be coming out of the anesthesia in a few moments," she said. "Don't expect full coherency right away," she warned. "Let him wake up naturally," were the last words she said before she headed out of the room.

Shiro stood, nodding at the instructions. He dragged the chair back over to Keith's bedside to wait. As bad of shape as he looked to be in, it was still miles better than when Shiro had first found him in the caves. He took Keith's hand in his right, left reaching forward to brush a stray piece of hair from his face.

Kosmo trepidatiously approached the bed, standing beside Shiro. He looked up at him before sitting down beside the Black Paladin. He whined as he placed his chin on Keith's bed, his eyes once again focusing on Keith.

Shiro shushed lightly, petting the wolf. "He'll wake up soon, buddy. Just gotta be patient.”

Kosmo whined, leaning against Shiro. Keith's brows furrowed at the noise, the hand within Shiro's grasp twitching.

Shiro hushed Kosmo again. "Kosmo, quiet," he ordered, voice soft but with authority. Laogai had said to let him wake naturally.

Kosmo shuffled, obviously anxious, but fell silent. Keith's face smoothed out slightly before coughing a handful of times, a pained, quiet moan coming from him afterwards.

Shiro reached out a hand to pet Kosmo's fur, trying to calm his anxiety. At Keith's cough he made a quiet noise of comfort, hand tightening around Keith's minutely.

Keith shifted before his eyelids slowly opened slightly. His gaze floated around the room, not focusing on anything in particular before they settled on Shiro. Keith's brows pulled together, "Ka-"

Shiro leaned forward. "Keith," he said quietly, emotion in his voice. He was so glad he was awake. Half of him was afraid he'd stay asleep. "Take it easy, don't push yourself."

Keith looked at Shiro, confusion clouding his eyes. His eyes shifted towards Kosmo, the confusion deepening. "Where...what..." Keith coughed, a high-pitched distressed chirping coming from him as he tried to catch his breath.

Shiro squeezed his hand. "Shh, it's okay. You're in medical. You were injured on your mission so we brought you back here," he explained concisely.

Kosmo whimpered, shuffling beside Shiro. Keith's attention drifted towards his wolf. "Kosmo," he whispered. "Okay?" 

Kosmo placed his head on top of Keith's and Shiro's entwined hands, his eyes wide as they stared at Keith.

Shiro nodded. "He's fine. He was tied up, but wasn't injured as far as I can tell." He looked to the wolf. It occurred to him he hadn't checked him over thoroughly. He'd have one of the doctors do it later.

Keith let out a sigh of relief. He thought Kosmo was killed after he was taken from him. He looked at the wolf wanting to do nothing but give him a tight hug. "What happened to Lance?" Keith croaked out, his voice hoarse.

Shiro's brow furrowed. "He's in surgery for his broken wrist. They have you sharing a room, so they'll bring him in when he's done." He hoped that would suffice for now. "What do you remember me telling you before?"

Keith looked at Shiro, confused. "When...did I see you?"

Shiro hummed. That made sense. "I brought you out of the cave and sat with you before the doctor stitched you up, you asked about Lance then too."

He squeezed Keith's hand.

Keith looked at Shiro, frowning. He swallowed back his fear at the sheer aspect of missing a chunk of time from his memory. He replayed what Shiro said, his frown deepening. "Lance is in surgery?" he said hoarsely, fear running through him at that thought.

Shiro nodded, a small smile on his face to try and soothe Keith's nerves. "He broke his wrist, has a couple other wounds and a concussion. He'll be okay though." He squeezed his hand.

Keith looked at Shiro, filled with concern. He closed his eyes as he tried to calm down. "Everyo-" Keith paused as he started coughing, thick phlegm coming up and causing Keith to whimper quietly.

Shiro reached for a bunch of tissues, wiping at what Keith had coughed up. "Everyone is going to be fine," he answered the aborted question as he leaned over to bin them. "And you're going to be doing that more often. You have fluid in your lungs that needs to come up," he informed him.

He rubbed Keith's leg gently through the blanket afterward, trying to be comforting.

"Fun," Keith muttered, coughing weakly. "How did you guys find me?" he couldn't help but ask. He didn't tell Shiro or Lance where his mission was, didn't think there was a reason to. It was supposed to be simple. Get intel. The base was supposed to be abandoned. 

It wasn't. Obviously.

Shiro frowned. "The lions told us. Red must have sensed you were in danger, since all the others woke us up by screaming in our heads in the middle of the night." He chuckled a little. "It's a little funny thinking about it now. We all started up a comm link to each other at basically the same time," he recalled.

Keith hummed, a soft smile. "Remind me to thank them," Keith murmured. "Thank  _ you, _ " he added before coughing. "Fuck," he muttered once he was done.

Shiro looked sympathetic at the coughing. "You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad we got there in time," he said softly. Now that the danger was gone, he was terrified again.

"Me too," Keith whispered. "...Not sure how much longer I would've lasted honestly," he added quietly, head looking away.

Shiro frowned and leaned forward. "Do you remember any of the time after you were taken?" he asked softly, not wanting to trudge up bad memories but wanting to know what they were going to have to deal with as an aftermath.

Keith nodded, his eyes closing. Pain. That was in every memory. Pain and terror.

Shiro saw the emotions flickering on Keith's face. "We don't have to do that now, if you don't want to," he said softly. "I just wanted to know what I needed to fill you in on." He wasn't sure if he wanted to wait for Lance anyways. He'd be able to comfort him where Shiro couldn't.

Keith swallowed. "I'm fine...or will be once I heal," he said softly.

Shiro nodded. That made sense.

A soft knock made Keith look back up at the door, Doctor Sorey standing in its threshold. "Good afternoon Cadet, Commander," he greeted as he entered the room. He made his way to the opposite side from where Shiro was sitting, peering up at the screen that showed Keith's vitals. "Good news, Cadet McClain just got out of surgery. Everything went well and he'll be joining you here as soon as he's cleared from post-op," he said with a soft smile as he looked at Keith. "Figured you would want to hear that first."

Keith nodded. "Thanks," he croaked out.

Shiro nodded, a smile on his face. "That's great news. Thank you so much, Doctor Sorey."

Sorey smiled at Shiro as he began to take Keith's vitals and listened to his lungs. "Still coughing?" he inquired to which Keith nodded. "Anything coming up?"

Keith nodded once more. Sorey hummed. "Good. Hopefully we won't have to take you to surgery if it continues. Pain, rate 1 to 10? 10 being the worst," he said as he flashed his pen light in Keith's eyes.

Shiro let his smile fall into a content look on his face. Dr. Lee had been nice, but they were familiar with Dr. Sorey and it was apparent in their interactions with each other.

Keith tried not to wince at the bright light. "7?" he replied. 

Sorey frowned as he leaned back up. "Hm, I can increase your morphine to help with that, see if we can get that lowered down a few ticks, now cognitive test. Name?”

"Keith Kogane."

"Where are you?"

"Atlas."

Sorey nodded. "Good. No obvious brain damage then, Lance will be happy about that. Now your wounds. Back; bandages will be changed every four hours roughly to keep infection chances down which I'm sure Doctor Lee told Commander Shirogane earlier so Nurse Laogai will be popping in and out of here periodically to do that. You're on a liquid diet for at least 48 hours so that means broths glore for you and you're on IV fluids until further notice. Did you get any food or water while you were away?"

Keith shook his head. He only saw people when he was tortured. 

Sorey nodded. "Okay. We’ll start small then work you back up to normal meals, okay? One step at a time, that's all you can do," he said, reassuringly. "How’s your throat? You sounded a bit hoarse earlier."

"Sore. Dry,” Keith answered. 

"We'll see if we can find something to fix that, okay?" Sorey said. "Lance should be in here soon, I know he was desperate to see you earlier," he told Keith. "He'll be happy to see you awake."

Keith's lips quirked upward. Sorey glanced over at Shiro. "Sorry Commander for ignoring you a bit, any questions or need anything?"

Shiro shook his head. "It's fine, I'd rather you focus on Keith." He thought for a moment. "I don't think I have any pressing questions. Will you be taking over his case or is Dr. Lee his primary right now?"

"As both Cadets are transferring into the ICU they fall under my jurisdiction. Doctor Lee's specialty is in Emergency Medicine so that's where he stays," Sorey explained.

Shiro nodded. He wasn't familiar with the ins and outs of the medical structure here yet, but that made sense. "Sorry, I never really studied up on your department," he apologized. "Also uh. Visiting hours?"

"Not applicable to the Commander," he said, smirking over his shoulder as he made his way towards the door. "And I highly doubt anybody could get you or Lance to leave his side right now anyways," he added. "Anything else?"

Shiro shook his head, ears a little red. "Nope, I think we're good," he agreed as he looked back to Keith.

Sorey nodded. "Gonna put in for the pain meds then. Rest, Keith," he said, sending a pointed look at the younger man before leaving.

Keith frowned. "Not like I can do anything else," he muttered.

Shiro snorted. "You would find a way," he reassured him as he settled into the chair more comfortably.

Keith narrowed his eyes at Shiro. "I can't even get out of bed right now," he grumbled. 

Kosmo nudged Keith's hand with his nose. Looking at the wolf, Keith smiled. He lifted his hand shakily, and started to lightly pet Kosmo. "Hey boy," he greeted softly.

Kosmo gave Keith a solid woof, leaning into the touch.

Shiro grinned. He loved watching the two of them interact.

Kosmo lightly placed his front paws on the bed, pushing the top of his head lightly against Keith's chest. Keith's smile grew watery as he wrapped his arms around Kosmo, holding him as tightly as he could. He smothered his face into Kosmo's thick fur, coughing into it slightly. Kosmo whined softly. "Shh," Keith whispered.

Shiro teared up a little bit as he watched the two of them reunite. "He was very worried about you," he informed Keith quietly as they hugged.

Keith nodded, knowing the feeling. "I thought they killed him," he said. "I didn't see him when I woke up and-" Keith stopped, shaking his head as he clutched Kosmo tighter.

That broke Shiro's heart a little. "I think they were afraid he was going to break you out," Shiro replied. "They had a teleportation blocking collar on him."

Keith closed his eyes, a few tears slipping out. "I'm sorry boy," he whispered into Kosmo's fur. 

Kosmo whined in response. 

Keith held Kosmo close, happy his wolf was untouched except..."Was he bound?" he asked Shiro softly.

Shiro nodded. "Front and hind legs, and he had a muzzle," he informed him quietly. "Didn't cut into him like yours did, though." He traced a finger along Keith's bandaged wrists.

Keith closed his eyes. "Thank god," he murmured. He gently pushed Kosmo down, the wolf falling to all four paws easily enough. Slowly, Keith started to push himself up aiming to sit up.

Shiro stood, gentle hands pushing Keith back down. "Rest," he warned sternly. "You've been through a lot. I'm not sure you can even stand," he thought out loud.

Keith frowned. "I just want to sit up," he argued. "If I lay down any longer I'm gonna go crazy."

Shiro kept the serious look on his face. "Then I can incline the bed," he said as he pushed the button to do so. "You're supposed to be recovering. I need you healthy." His voice slipped into slight pleading by the last sentence, but he cleared his throat to try and cover it.

Keith looked up at Shiro as he was slowly brought up to a sitting position. "I'm sorry I worried you," he whispered, his eyes soft as he looked at Shiro.

Shiro looked away, feeling oddly vulnerable. "You know what my response to that would be," he said. They'd gone around and around Keith going on Blades missions alone without backup. He refused to give it up despite Shiro's (and Lance's) protests. It wasn't worth hashing out the same worn battle again. He sighed and looked back to Keith, sitting now that his boyfriend was sitting up now as well. "Just...take care of yourself now. That's enough for me."

Keith looked up at Shiro. "Not like I can do anything but," he replied. He reached out and gently grasped Shiro's hand, tugging it softly.

Shiro's face softened to bemusement as he let Keith tug on his hand. "What's this about," he asked, nodding toward their joined hands.

Keith rolled his eyes, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks as he looked away from Shiro. He gave another light tug. "Come closer," he muttered.

Shiro chuckled. "If we get yelled at, I'm not taking the blame," he warned as he kicked his boots off and carefully sat on the bed, a little lost for how to navigate the various wires and tubes hooked up to his boyfriend. He finally managed to work around them until he was holding Keith carefully against his side. "Like this?" he asked.

Keith nodded. He nuzzled against Shiro's shoulder, taking a deep breath through his nose, taking in the scent of his eldest mate, his body relaxing as he did. 

Kosmo whined before slowly crawling on top of the bed as well, gingerly laying across Keith's and Shiro's feet, his head resting on Shiro's knee. 

Keith smiled at the wolf. "If Lance was here, it would almost be like home," he said hoarsely.

Shiro chuckled and squeezed Keith slightly. "Yeah, it would. I'm going to have to buy a bigger bed soon," he joked as Kosmo shuffled again to get more comfortable. He rested his head lightly on Keith's. "Soon. We'll be home soon," he promised.

Keith hummed, enjoying the idea of being nestled in their bed, wrapped up in the arms of his mates. It was a nice thought. 

Keith turned his head to cough a few times before settling again, playing with the cannula, frowning when he couldn't get it to sit right so it sat comfortably while he leaned against Shiro's shoulder. He gave up on it seconds later and grasped one of Kosmo's paws, looking at the limb and running a finger over where the wolf had been bound.

Kosmo looked up at Keith, letting his master do what he wanted to with his paws.

Shiro looked down at where Keith was looking at the wolf's paws. "I'm glad he's not hurt," he said softly. "Just seemed freaked out. He led us straight to you, though."

"Hm, good dog,” he said with a small smile as he checked the other paw. "I'm happy he didn't fight the restraints too much," he whispered.

Shiro nodded. "He did a very good job," he praised as he reached forward to pet Kosmo's head.

Kosmo yipped softly, leaning into Shiro's hand. Keith smiled fondly at the action as he ran his thumbs over Kosmo's paw. "I don't even remember you coming in," he said softly. "Just-" he paused, "there and then waking up here.”

Shiro hummed. "That must have been disconcerting," he sympathized. He knew he hated it when he woke up during his captivity and didn't remember going there.

"I thought I died," he mumbled. "Felt like I was going to for so long."

Shiro tensed a little. He was surprised Keith was talking about it so soon, but he supposed he shouldn't be. Keith trusted him. He relaxed. "What did they do?" he murmured in Keith's ear before pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

Keith closed his eyes, leaning into Shiro's side before shaking his head. "Tried to break me. They wanted information on Voltron and the Blades," Keith explained. "When I didn't give them what they wanted, they escalated," he replied. 

Kosmo moved so his head was resting in Keith's lap as Keith began to pet him.

Shiro breathed deep and pushed his head against Keith's in some form of comfort. "I saw the marks on your back," he told him quietly. "And I can assume where the water in your lungs came from."

"Escalations," Keith muttered. "I wasn't going to put you or the others in danger." He turned his head to cough a few times before settling again into Shiro's side. "Although I obviously did anyway."

Shiro shook his head. "It wasn't you," he corrected as he cradled him closer.

"Lance is in fucking surgery because of this," Keith muttered, his eyes burning as tears built up. "If I was just paying better attention, they wouldn't have gotten the drop on me or Kosmo."

Shiro shook his head again. "This is not your fault," he reiterated. "The situation, maybe, but that's not your burden to bear. You were just doing your job."

It was a line he'd heard many times in training, told others repeatedly. He knew it back to front.

Keith closed his eyes, choosing to back down from the argument before it even started. It was one that they'd hashed out before and it never went anywhere. It happened every single time someone got injured. 

A knock on the door made him open his eyes and force his weary body to pull away from Shiro. Nurse Laogai stood in the threshold, a deep frown on her face. "Your pain medication," she said plainly as she headed towards Keith's IV pole. She placed the bag onto it and added it to Keith's IV. "Cadet McClain is also awake and alert now and should be joining you in a few hours once he's fully cleared," she said before leaving the room.

Keith let out a soft breath. Lance was okay.

Shiro was initially surprised by the other presence in the room, but relaxed. It wasn't anyone that would spread it around. Medical staff was okay.

He watched as Keith was hooked up to the new bag, nodding to Laogai's news. "Thank you," he said politely as she left. "See? He's fine," he said to Keith, pulling him close again.

Keith nodded. "Thank god." He hated whenever either of his mates got hurt, a low thrum of anxiety running through his until he saw them again. 

Keith nuzzled into Shiro's shoulder. "Be happy when we can go home and forget about this," he said. "Want to lay in our bed."

Shiro hummed his agreement. "It'll be a lot more comfortable," he noted.

"So will not masquerading as a mummy," Keith mumbled before coughing. "And not doing that," he groaned.

Shiro made a sympathetic face. "I'd help if I could," he said as he reached over for the tissue box for Keith.

"I know you would, big softie," Keith mumbled, turning away again when another series of coughs came. He groaned when he felt phlegm hit his hand and dribbled down his chin. He felt like a child.

Shiro winced and held out the tissue box to allow Keith to take some. "Better out than in," he mused.

Keith frowned. "If only they thought the same thing," he croaked as he grabbed a few tissues. He wiped his chin and hand slowly, his muscles sore and tired.

Lance's eyes fluttered open and he blinked at the ceiling, taking a minute to remember where he was. Right. The med bay. He'd had surgery on his wrist. He looked down and sure enough there was the cast.  _ Lovely. _ Lance sighed.

He took stock of the rest of his body by slowly testing out his muscles. His legs felt fine, but there was a sore spot on his right side at the bottom of his ribs and he vaguely remembered getting shot there before he tripped.  _ Dumbass. _ He thought to himself before continuing his analysis. His left wrist was obviously out of commission, being broken and all. His right shoulder twinged every time he moved his arm and definitely remembered being shot there. He opened his mouth a little to lick at his dry lips and felt something pull on the skin of his right cheek and a throbbing pain from the left side of his jaw. Right. The scratches and probably a nice bruise from the right hook to the jaw.

Lance raised his eyebrows as he sighed again and felt something laying against his forehead. Bandages? He didn't remember hitting his head...but he supposed if he had a concussion, that could explain why he didn't remember it. He was a mess.

"Glad to see you conscious," Mila remarked smirking as she walked up to the bed before her expression turned murderous. "If you weren't already a massive bruise Lance McClain I would be beating you with my shoe! Do you have any idea how much you scared me? Damn it, Lance, I'm too young for gray hair!"

Lance turned away from her and started to innocently whistle before immediately stopping when it sent a sharp pain through his jaw. Not able to play out his routine, he looked up at her sheepishly. "Sorry, Mila."

Mila shook her head, her eyes narrowed. "Just you wait mister," she threatened before sighing. She started to take Lance's vitals and check his breathing. "Your surgery went well," she started. "You have a pin in your wrist now and you'll be stuck in that thing for at least 4 weeks so get used to it. We patched your side wound and shoulder while you were under. You should be fine, but be gentle with it. Now, think you can answer some questions without being a smartass?"

"Probably not," he replied, signature grin appearing on his lips.

Mila sighed. "If you weren't, I suppose I would have to be worried about brain damage," she said, rolling her eyes. "Where are you?"

"In a hospital bed. " He smirked. "On the Atlas," he added, seeing the murder in her eyes.

Mila exhaled slowly. "Date of birth," she bit out.

_ My birthday _ . "July 28th."

Mila nodded. "Leader of Voltron?"

"Takashi Shirogane."

Mila gave one last nod. "Brain is still working apparently. Keith will be happy to hear that," she said with a smirk. "Now you'll be here for a bit longer to make sure your concussion is stable before we move you. If you behave, we'll move you to the same ICU room Keith is in." She narrowed her eyes. "So behave."

Lance smiled despite the fact that she was teasing. Thinking about Keith and not hearing the rest of what she said, he asked. "How is he?"

Mila's smile fell slightly. "I don't know all the details, hun. I know he's stable though. Last I heard he was unconscious. Beyond that?" she finished with a small shrug. "Behave and you'll see for yourself, okay?"

"Wait. I can't go now? Why? I'm done with surgery, right? You patched me up and I'm awake. Why can't I leave?" Lance asked, pausing halfway in trying to sit up. It was a good thing he had decent ab muscles otherwise this would be much harder.

Mila pushed Lance back on to the bed. "Because you just got out of surgery, idiot. You're in postop and have to be cleared from that first," she snapped. "And this is not behaving. So sit down and shut up, then you can see your boyfriend," she said before her name was called down the hall. She sighed. "Behave," she ordered before leaving the room.

Lance huffed and crossed his arms, albeit a bit awkwardly with one in cast and the other in a sling. He watched her walk out of the room and leaned forward slightly, eyebrows raised as he listened and looked for anyone coming near his room. Hearing no one he leaned back for a few seconds, debating doing what he was told before mentally saying  _ fuck it _ and sitting up. He had waited long enough. He needed to see that Keith was okay for himself.

Lance swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, wobbling slightly, his head still the tiniest bit fuzzy from the anesthesia. He leaned on the wall for support for a minute before walking slowly to the doorway, peeking out both ways into the hallway.

Seeing no one, Lance picked a direction and started down it, walking slowly as his motor functions returned.  _ You are an idiot _ , Lance thought as he turned another corner.  _ You don't even know what room he's in. _ Lance sighed in frustration and tried to follow the signs to the ICU while also avoiding everyone. At one point, Lance had ducked into a room to avoid a doctor and accidentally startled the occupant. He had smiled sheepishly, apologizing before moving as quickly as he dared back down the hallway.

Finally, after about ten minutes, Lance thought he might have been in the right area. As he crept down the hallway, he heard a familiar voice.

"I'd help if I could."  _ Shiro. _ Lance's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to hear the next part of the conversation, still heading in the direction of the voices.

"Better out than in." That was Shiro again. Who was he talking to?

"If only they thought the same thing." Lance stumbled, leaning hard against the wall for support.  _ Keith. _ That was Keith. Tears gathered in Lance's eyes. Keith was alive. He hadn't sounded the best, but he was alive. Lance closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath before sniffling and standing back up, moving toward the room again.

He peeked inside and saw Keith and Shiro, sitting on the bed, Kosmo next to them.  _ Everyone's okay. _

Lance turned away to take a deep breath before moving forward to lean against the door frame. "You look like shit," he said thickly as he blinked through the tears welling up.

Keith's head snapped up at the sound of Lance's voice, his eyes wide and instantly welling with tears when he saw the state that his younger mate was in. They fell over as he took in the sling and the cast, then the bandages. "You don't look any better," he croaked back, tears dripping from his chin. 

Meanwhile Kosmo's head lifted off of Keith's lap, barking a few times when he saw Lance, tail waving happily.

Lance huffed a laugh as his own tears fell, breathing in shakily as he walked inside. "I suppose I don't."

Shiro's eyes widened as he took in Lance's form. He looked...well, that scared Shiro a little. Not as much as Keith had, but it was concerning since he'd seen him just fine before. "Lance," he said, part wonder and chastisement as he stood. "I'm sure they didn't tell you to walk here," he said as he walked over to him and guided him toward the bed.

Lance let Shiro help him over to Keith, sniffling as the tears continued to fall.  _ Keith is hurt. Keith is alive.  _ "They might have told me to stay in my room. I may have not listened."

Keith watched as Lance walked towards him, Shiro helping him. He blinked at Lance's confession. "Lance! What the fuck?" Keith snapped hoarsely. "You yell at me all the damn-" Keith stopped when he started coughing, turning away from his mates.

Shiro made a noise. "Keith, you've got to take it easy," he warned, not sure whose side to take. He understood both quite clearly.

Lance's eyes widened at Keith's coughing. That didn't sound good. "You're right, I do," Lance answered once Keith finished coughing. "But this is different."

"How?" Keith croaked, wiping his mouth with a tissue. "You're injured. Enough said."

Shiro settled Lance on the bed. "Keith is right. This isn't any different," he agreed. "Not to mention, now your medical staff has no clue where you are."

"Keith nearly died, Shiro," Lance stated, angrily. "How is that not different? I may have been mostly out of it on the way back, but I knew he was hurt bad. And no one would tell me anything! I kept asking and they ignored me, only asking stupid questions. They kept telling me, 'Later, you can see Keith, talk to Keith, we'll tell you about Keith  _ later _ '. So finally I said, 'Fuck later. how about now. How about I see my goddamn boyfriend, right fucking now, so that I can try to fix this goddamn pit in my stomach that makes it hard to breathe every time someone won't tell me whether the goddamn fucking idiot I'm in love with is alive or not!" Lance yelled, breathing heavily as more tears poured down his face. At some point he had grabbed the front of his shirt with the hand hanging out of the sling and now it was sending shooting pains up and down his arm from the gunshot wound in his shoulder. He let his hand fall.

Shiro blinked, jaw dropping in surprise. That...made sense, he supposed. He probably would have done the same. "But you still need to take care of  _ yourself _ ," he said patiently. "I should have seen you earlier and told you he was okay. That's on me. I'm sorry," he took the blame easily. He should have done that, but he'd been wrapped up in the issue before him.

Keith's eyes widened as he heard Lance yell at Shiro. Keith could hear the pain that Lance went through, not knowing anything except that he was hurt. 

A soft distressed chirp came from him, tears welling up in his eyes. His mate was hurting, both physically and emotionally. 

He glanced at Shiro when he spoke, shaking his head. "Someone in the medical team could've told him." He spoke softly, his throat sore. "Everyone knows that Lance would've been worried, they could have at least told him I was awake," he said.

Lance's eyes jumped to Keith's when he heard the chirp. "They damn well should have," Lance choked out. "Wouldn't have mattered. I would have come as soon as I could anyway."

Shiro sighed. "They probably should have," he agreed. He didn't know how health privacy laws applied up here. "And you still came too early," Shiro chastised. "Cuddle your boyfriend while I go tell your medical team where you are. I'm surprised we haven't heard anything yet," he muttered the last bit to himself.

Lance ignored Shiro for the most part. He had needed to see Keith as soon as possible. He didn't care about what happened to him. If they had just let him see for himself that Keith was still alive, Lance would have let them do whatever they wanted. He would've waited in the room until he was cleared, because he would've known that Keith was okay.  _ That's a lie. _ He thought to himself. So he probably still would have wandered away when they left him alone, but he would have been less worried.

Lance sat on the edge of Keith's bed, not really sure how to go about cuddling someone who looked like a mummy, while looking like a mummy himself. The cast wouldn't be comfortable for Keith, but the shoulder wound wouldn't give him very much range of motion. And he'd rather not get in more trouble because they had to redo his stitches.

The tears had slowed down by now and Lance's eyes flicked over Keith's body, noting that pretty much the only part of him not covered in bandages was his face. "How do you feel?" he asked quietly, after Shiro left the room.

Keith smirked slightly as he looked at Lance. "With my hands," he remarked before chuckling mirthlessly. "I'm fine." He reached out, the movement slow and shaky and gently touched the gauze on the side of Lance's face. "What happened?"

Lance ignored the question. "Fine? Keith, my  _ ass _ is  _ fine _ . You are a mummy," Lance argued softly, reaching up with his cast arm and wrapping a finger around Keith's. "Tell me."

Keith looked away from Lance. "You shouldn't get upset when you're injured," Keith responded. "Isn't that what you tell me all the time?"

Lance sighed, closing his eyes and bringing their hands down to the sheets between them. "Right. Sorry." He looked up at Keith. "Just...you're okay though, right? You're getting better?"

Keith nodded before he tugged on Lance's finger. "Think you can move your so called fine ass over here so I can be closer to you? I missed both of you," he said with a sad smile.  _ Thought I would never get to see you again. _

Lance huffed a laugh and said, "I missed you too," but couldn't quite get a smile on his face yet. He scooted closer and turned onto his left side so he wasn't leaning on his still healing gunshot wounds and let his head rest on the pillow next to Keith's. For a few moments Lance just stared into Keith's eyes. There were moments over the past day or so that he wasn't sure he'd ever see them again.

"I love you," he said quietly.

Keith blushed slightly. "Love you too," he whispered. His eyes took in the damage on Lance's face, a frown appearing on his own. "I'm sorry you got injured," he said, a tear slipping from his eye.

Lance swallowed hard, wishing he could wipe the tear away. "Not your fault. I wasn't careful enough."

"I'm sorry we couldn't come get you sooner," Lance added, scooching forward to lean his forehead against Keith's.

Keith shook his head before turning it to cough a few times. "No," he said, placing his forehead back against Lance's, "I should've been more careful. If I was, you wouldn't have had to come rescue me."

Lance chuckled dryly. "Maybe we both could've been more careful. Mila once told me 'Sometimes you can do everything right, and still lose.' I think she was paraphrasing from a tv show or something, but I think about that a lot. Maybe this was just one of those times where the cards were stacked against us." Lance closed his eyes. "I'm just grateful you're still alive."

Keith hummed. "I'm thankful you didn't get captured," he said softly. He didn't want to think about either of his boyfriends going through what he did. "Grateful you got there in time," he added, knowing he hadn’t had much time left.

"Me too, sweetheart," Lance said, tilting his head back to place a brief kiss to Keith's forehead before moving back.

Keith smirked. "You missed, sharpshooter," he whispered.

Lance's lips finally rose in a smile, thinking back to their first kiss. "Must be getting rusty. I should probably practice, then," he whispered back, propping himself up slightly on his left arm and leaning in to press his lips to Keith's.

Keith hummed into the soft kiss, smiling. He pulled back. "Don’t hurt yourself," he said, glancing at Lance's left arm before turning his head sharply when a trio of harsh coughs appeared out of nowhere with only a couple of seconds of relief before another attack hit. He reached for tissues blindly as he felt the phlegm come up, thick and disgusting. After he was done, Keith wiped his mouth with a quivering hand. "Fuck," he croaked.

"I'm fine. It's in a cast, it's not going anywhere," Lance said, but he settled back against the bed anyway. "Are you okay?" Lance asked. He wished he could help. Hell, he wished he could just rub his boyfriend's back. He wished now that he had been a lot more careful. He vowed that next time he would be.

Keith nodded as a few lingering coughs popped up. He wiped his mouth and then looked back at Lance. "I'm fine," he said hoarsely. "Stupid coughing," he muttered, rubbing his chest briefly before setting his hand back on top of Kosmo's head.

Shiro heard Keith coughing from the hallway as he came back, wincing slightly. That didn't sound or look fun. His face had cleared by the time he got to the doorway, taking the chair next to the bed. "Mila's behind me and she's pissed," he warned. The only reason he made it in sooner was his longer stride.

Lance winced and turned his face into the pillow.  _ This wasn't going to be good. _

Keith raised an eyebrow at Shiro right before Mila stormed in, her eyes bright with fury as she looked at Lance. "What part of ‘behave’ did you NOT understand?" she snapped as she marched her way towards Keith's bed.

Lance groaned into the pillow.  _ Here it comes. _ "I'm sorry, Mila," he said quietly, turning to look at her with the best sad puppy look he could muster. "I couldn't wait any more. I had to see for myself."

Shiro sighed internally. He knew this was going to happen.

Mila placed her hands on her hips. "And I told you that if you behave you behaved, you would room with him," she bit out. "I gave you one instruction and you couldn't even listen to that! What if you got injured? You still technically have a concussion! You just came out of surgery!" she yelled, her arms outstretched in anger. "And you decide to walk to the other side of the med bay because you want to see your boyfriend! Argh!"

"Yes," Lance said, losing the look in favor of being serious. "Because I love him." He watched as Milas eyes softened slightly. "I am sorry, Mila, but you couldn't even tell me whether Keith was okay or not. I had to know. Not knowing was killing me."

Keith glanced at Lance, a blush appearing on his cheeks as he heard Lance speaking. He wanted to lean into Lance, cuddle him, feel his warmth, but was petrified of hurting him. 

Mila sighed. "You're lucky I like you, Lance McClain," she muttered. "I'll get your bed moved," she said, turning around. "And just wait until I tell Pietro about this!" she yelled as she left the room.

Lance winced. Pietro was going to let him have it. He sighed and turned back to Keith who looked like maybe he wanted something, but didn't know how to ask. Lance smiled softly. "Sit up for a second.” 

He waited as Keith complied and then he slid his left arm behind Keith. "Come here," Lance said, nodding minutely towards his uninjured shoulder.

Keith blinked at Lance, confused slightly. "Lance, I don't want to hurt you," he replied quietly.

"You won't," Lance said, bending his arm at the elbow to gently nudge Keith towards him. "This is my good shoulder," he added, eyes smiling.

Keith hesitantly placed his head on Lance's shoulder, moving slowly both for Lance's and his own benefit. He closed his eyes as he nuzzled into the shoulder beneath his cheek. "You know you should've waited for clearance, Lance," Keith said quietly. "I understand why but you need to take care of yourself too."

Lance rested his cheek on Keith's hair. "I couldn't," he said, his voice cracking slightly.

Shiro hummed. He understood how that one went. "Maybe we can fill out paperwork, so if there's a next time they can tell you," he suggested.

Lance's breath caught. "No next time." His voice still came out slightly broken. "Please no next time."

Shiro shook his head. "Just a precaution," he promised.

Keith shuttered at the thought. He barely survived  _ this _ time. Hearing Lance's broken voice, he curled his pained body closer, a soft, deep toned purr coming from him as he subconsciously tried to comfort Lance.

Lance closed his eyes at the purr, knowing Keith was trying to comfort him. He took a few steadying breaths, ignoring the pain in his side, before opening his eyes again.

Keith glanced up at Lance. "I'm okay," he whispered. "You guys saved me in time," he said, hoping his words gave his mates some kind of comfort.

Shiro shut his eyes at the purr, taking in the comfort along with Lance, nodding lightly. He was okay. Thank the gods.

Keith coughed a few times, wincing at it shook his battered body. When he opened his eyes, he saw Nurse Laogai standing in the threshold of the room. "Time to change your bandages," she said tensely. 

Keith slowly forced his body to sit up and away from Lance, wincing as he went. "Do you want your…" Laogai glanced at Lance and Shiro, "partners to leave?" 

Keith shook his head. "They can stay if they want," he said softly. It wasn't like he could hide his back for the rest of his life.

Keith nudged Kosmo, the wolf leaping down and sitting beside Shiro.

Lance glanced between the nurse and Keith, before turning to get off the bed, wincing as the move pulled at the wound on his side. He stood and slowly walked over to Shiro, reaching down to scratch at Kosmo's head. "Hey, buddy," he said softly.

Shiro tensed at the mention of partners. He pet Kosmo's back until Lance approached, when he stood. "You take the chair," he said, less of a suggestion than it could have been.

Lance's eyes shot to Shiro's at the half-command, but just nodded and sat, relaxing into the cushions.

Kosmo leaned into Lance's touch, watching as the Cuban man settled into the seat. Kosmo moved to Lance's side, gingerly placing his head on Lance's knee. 

"Move to the edge of the bed," the nurse requested, setting up a small station beside the bed. 

Keith did as asked, wincing as he moved. Nurse Laogai helped him roll up the bottom of his scrub top, holding it up with a clip. Thick white bandages were wrapped tightly around his stomach. 

Slowly, Nurse Laogai began undoing them in a macabre imitation of opening a present. Bruises and small contusions were exposed before six long, gruesome whip marks were revealed. They were red and inflamed, blood sluggishly still oozing out of them.

Lance continued to pet Kosmo's head as he watched the nurse unwrap Keith. He could feel the blood drain from his face as more and more of his back was revealed. Lance swallowed thickly as tears started to gather in his eyes again. He fought to keep his breathing normal so that Keith hopefully wouldn't hear how upset he was getting.

Shiro grit his teeth and looked down to check on Lance. He rested a hand on his shoulder to comfort him when he saw the tears in his eyes.

Laogai tossed the bloodied bandages into a biohazardous waste bin before turning back to Keith. She opened a tube of disinfectant gel and began smearing it on the wounds, seemingly ignoring the hisses of pain that Keith was producing because of it. She leaned back and opened the sterile package of gauze. She used the small squares to cover the lashes directly before starting to bandage Keith's waist once more. 

She nodded once she was done, peeling off her gloves as she stood. She took the clips off of Keith's shirt, hiding the bandages once more as it fell. 

"I'm going to listen to your breathing," she said, placing her stethoscope in her ears. She closed her eyes as she listened to the wheezy breath of Keith's, nodding as she listened to different parts. "A small improvement," she muttered. 

She ran through a few more vitals, muttering about a heightened heartbeat and a slight increase in body temperature, marking the observations on Keith's chart.

Lance closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he could no longer see the marks on Ketih's back. They looked painful and Lance was sad and angry and disappointed. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, before looking down at Kosmo, trying to distract himself. He scratched a bit behind the wolf's ear.

Shiro squeezed Lance's shoulder lightly but looked up to watch as Laogai completed her examination and bandaged Keith up again, frowning slightly. Her bedside manner left something to be desired, next to Mila. "Doing well so far?" he asked a bit louder.

"He's improving," she said as she cleaned up. "I'll be back in a few hours to change the bandages again," she said before heading out the door. 

Keith couldn't help but curl a lip as she left, the door closing with a thud. There was something about her. He shook his head, maybe something was going on in her personal life or something. Slowly, Keith began the arduous task of pulling his legs back into bed and getting settled once more.

Shiro glared at the closed door a bit before moving forward to help Keith get settled into bed again. "Gonna see what Mila's schedule is like, see if we can switch," he murmured to the two of them. "Probably makes sense to have the same nurse for a room, anyways."

Lance nodded absently and stayed where he was.

Keith couldn't stop the winces and hisses as he settled back. "Thanks," he whispered to Shiro once he was done. He loosely wrapped an arm around his stomach, his back throbbing from the rebandaging of his wounds. He glanced up at the now quarter empty bag on his IV pole wondering if he was maxed out on morphine yet before letting his head fall back, his eyes closed.

Shiro made sympathetic noises. "Want me to check with someone if you can get more pain meds? I know how much that sucks," he asked.

Keith shook his head. "Too much and I'll just puke on your shoes," he mumbled, ignoring the fact that he didn't exactly have anything in his stomach  _ to _ throw up. "And it's just because my back got agitated. I'm fine."

Shiro looked concerned, but he nodded. He wasn't going to force Keith to do anything. "Tell me if it ramps up," he said and put a hand on Keith's leg briefly before he sat on the edge of the bed.

Keith nodded, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to relax his tense muscles. A few random coughs would pop up, each one making him wince. 

Kosmo nuzzled into Lance's hand, wanting more pets. When he didn't get any, he used his nose to softly bump Lance's sternum in the hopes of getting what he wanted.

Lance started, feeling Kosmo nudge him and he looked over at the wolf, giving him a small smile. "Sorry, buddy," he muttered, resuming his ministrations.

Kosmo sighed, resting his head against Lance's knee, settling in for pets. Keith chuckled quietly when he heard Lance apologize to Kosmo. "Being a brat?" he asked, languidly opening his eyes to look at Lance, a small smirk on his lips as he took in the precious scene before him.

Lance hummed, but didn't say anything else. He couldn't stop thinking about them.

Keith's brows furrowed at Lance's silence. He swallowed, concern bubbling up with him. "Lance?" he called out softly.

Lance blinked and looked up at Keith. "Yeah," he said, not a question, but just indicating that he had heard his name.

Shiro looked over at Keith's concerned tone, watching Lance pet Kosmo. He wanted to say something, but he felt like this was something the two of them needed to try to work out on their own.

The concern only grew at the one word response. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Was he in pain? Was he sick too? Did he need medication? Various thoughts popped into Keith's head.

"Yeah," Lance said, scrunching his forehead and nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...still a little out of it, I guess."

Keith frowned. "Do you need to lay down? Meds?" he asked, worried.

Lance shook his head and smiled, but even he could tell it was half-assed. "Nah. I'm okay."

Keith nodded, his gaze falling to his lap. He knew something was bothering Lance but what? If he could just get up, he would gather Lance into a hug as that's what it looked like he needed, but he knew that if he tried to get out of bed, he would fall straight to the floor. 

Kosmo looked between the two, whimpering softly. He gently nosed at Lance's hand, whining quietly.

Lance gave a barely there smile to the wolf. "Really, buddy. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Then come up here and lay down," Keith said, frowning. "I can move over if you need more room."

Shiro frowned as well. "Or we can get your bed in here, if you'd prefer that." He knew that Lance didn't want to hurt Keith, and wasn't sure if that was factoring in.

"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna use the bathroom first, though," Lance said, standing slowly and turning towards the small room attached to theirs. Once the door was closed, Lance leaned against it, letting his head fall back against the metal. He closed his eyes, his face scrunching up as tears gathered and started to spill over. Why couldn't they have gotten there faster? Why couldn't they have saved him from all of this? Why did it have to happen at all? 

Lance blinked his eyes open and sighed, turning to look at himself in the mirror. It was the first time he had seen what he looked like since they all went on the rescue mission and he suddenly wasn't surprised that Keith had cried seeing him. He had bandages wrapped around his forehead from the concussion. A large piece of gauze covering one side of his face from the scratches and a large purple bruise spreading across his jaw from where that asshole had punched him. On top of that one of his arms was in a cast and the other in a sling because he'd been shot twice. He was in bad shape, but Keith was worse. Those marks on his back were deep and angry. Lance didn't want to know what had made them, but understood that it would have been extremely painful. He didn't know what else had been done to him, but he couldn't believe that was all of it, considering he was wrapped head to toe in bandages. 

Lance stared at himself in the mirror, tears still falling as he wished it were him instead. What he wouldn't give to have been the only one hurt. To have gone to get Keith only to find out that his comms had been broken and everything was fine. Why did this have to happen? Why was Lance always stuck in a position where he had to stand by as Keith was hurt and not be able to do anything about it? This was the second time in six months that Lance had almost lost him, and he couldn't do anything about it. And he knew it would happen again. Because he knew that they were in the middle of a war. And he knew Keith. 

Lance shook his head and wiped away his tears with his fingers. He took a few deep breaths and licked his lips. His eyes were red, but not any worse than they were earlier so Lance flushed the toilet for good measure and turned on the faucet, letting them think he was washing his hands. After he turned the water off, he looked at himself for a few more seconds before sighing and heading back out into the room.

Kosmo whined as he watched Lance head towards the bathroom. He made his way towards Keith’s bed, crawling into it and settling gingerly beside Keith, his head resting in Keith's lap. 

Keith let out a sigh when the door clicked shut. He didn't know what was going on in Lance's mind and concern weighed heavily within him. He desperately wanted to wrap Lance in a hug, give him a tender kiss and reassure him that everything was okay, but he was bed-ridden. He frowned as he looked down at Kosmo, softly running a hand over the wolf's head.

Shiro frowned at the door as it shut behind Lance. He stood and bent down to press a kiss to Keith's head, not forgetting to spare a pet for Kosmo. "I'll be back, I'm going to work on getting him settled," he murmured before heading out to find Mila.

Keith nodded in response, continuing to pet Kosmo deep in thought.

Shiro walked back in, noting Lance was still in the bathroom. He frowned a little to himself in concern, but sat in one of the chairs near Keith's bed again. "Should be a few minutes, then they'll get him situated," he informed.

Keith hummed, his concern for Lance building as the Cuban remained in the bathroom. He continued to pet Kosmo, the wolf enjoying the attention but his eyes trained on the bathroom door.

When Lance came out of the bathroom, he noticed the somber mood of the room. Trying to muster some of his usual attitude, Lance forced a short laugh. "That was interesting," he joked, hoping it would maybe lighten the atmosphere.

Keith looked up at Lance, confused. "What was?" he inquired.

Shiro snorted a little. "I'm sure it was," he commented. He'd broken an arm a few years back and had that particular adventure too.

Lance just wiggled his fingers, reminding Keith that his arms were kind of useless at the moment.

Keith's eyes widened slightly in understanding. "Oh," he said softly.

Shiro tried to straighten his face, but his eyes still shone with amusement. "I talked to Mila, they should be here in a few minutes with a bed to get you all set up," he informed as he leaned back in the chair a little, trying to relax. The guys were fine. They were getting settled. The lions were okay. He could relax a little. "But no more wandering off, okay?"

"No promises," Lance said, shooting a wink at Shiro. He knew they'd know he was kidding. Keith was already here, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. 

Lance leaned against the wall, waiting for his bed. Not that he wouldn’t rather cuddle with Keith, but they were both pretty banged up. They had kind of managed it before, but he wasn’t sure how comfortable it had been for Keith.

Keith hummed, leaning back in the bed and closing his eyes. Nausea was starting to churn and he wasn't feeling the best pain wise, but it wasn't anything to worry his boyfriends about. The increase in pain was probably from bandaging his wounds and the nausea was a consequence from that and the morphine. 

Kosmo whined, sad that his pets were gone. Keith rolled his eyes behind his lids. "Spoiled," he muttered before glancing at Lance. "Come sit down, you shouldn't be standing," he said.

Shiro stifled a cough at the wink, still not used to Lance flirting with him.  _ What the hell, _ he thought to himself. At the offer for him to sit on the bed Shiro remembered himself and stood again. "Or here if it's comfortable. Whatever." He talked himself out of offering to let Lance sit on his lap.

Lance smiled at Shiro, ever the gentleman, and shook his head. "They’ll be back soon with my bed, I can wait." He didn’t want to risk hurting Keith. He looked like he was in pain enough as it was. "Thanks though."

Keith frowned slightly at Lance's response. He wanted to cuddle with one of his boyfriends, but both seemed petrified to even touch him, which he could understand. Keith sighed softly. "I'll cuddle with Kosmo then," he mumbled, the wolf lifting his head when he heard his name. Keith chuckled and gently pushed his head back down to his lap, scratching behind the pup's ear. He let his eyes close again, swallowing as a wave of nausea washed over him.

Lance looked at Keith sadly. "Keith, I  _ want _ to, you know I do, but were both pretty banged up. I don’t want to hurt you." He grimaced. "Or bring any more of Milas wrath down on me for ripping my stitches out. But trust me," he added, smiling, "I'm gonna cuddle the shit out of you when we're better."

Shiro frowned. "I will, if you want." He looked at Lance. "But you need to sit. I won't lay down while you're standing," he insisted.

"It didn't hurt before," Keith mumbled, "but I underst-" he broke off as another series of coughs came, groaning as he finished, dribbles of water and mucus dripping off of his chin as he grabbed a handful of tissues and wiped his chin. "I agree with Shiro though. You should be sitting at least," he croaked out.

Lance started forward when Keith began to cough and winced when the sudden movement pulled at his side. This sucked. "Yes, dear," he monotoned, the fond smile on his face belying his teasing. He moved over to the end of the bed and sat down gingerly, careful not to jostle Keith. "Didn’t want to take your seat, Shiro. I know you're tired too."

Shiro winced as Keith started to cough, recovering swiftly and patting his leg under the blanket in sympathy. He looked at Lance with a raised brow. "Not as much as you," he argued, but took his seat again as Lance sat next to Keith. 

Keith finished wiping his chin. "Be happy when this is done," he muttered, leaning back into the bed, a few lingering coughs popping up and making him wince after each one. 

Kosmo whined, nuzzling Keith's stomach gently with his nose. Keith kept his eyes closed, tired and nauseous. His back was throbbing still and the room felt cold, a faint shiver making his muscles tense slightly before relaxing.

Lance saw Keith shiver and furrowed his brows. "Are you cold?" he asked. It felt warm in the room to him.

Shiro frowned and glanced around for a blanket.

Keith eased an eye open to look at his mates. "I'm fine," he answered. He was usually always on the cold side compared to his mates. Lance always blamed it on his lack of body fat because he never ate enough. He closed his eyes again.

Lance didn’t believe him for a second. He didn’t look fine. With his left hand, Lance grabbed the top of the sheet and pulled it further over Keith ignoring the way his side stung painfully at the stretch.

Shiro frowned. If Keith said he was fine, he usually wasn't. He spotted a closet where a blanket was likely to be kept and stood, walking over to pull it out and drape it over Keith's sheets in addition to what Lance had pulled up. "Better?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Keith needed to be comfortable to heal.

Feeling the blanket moving, Keith eased open an eye. He hummed softly. "Thanks," he mumbled before it slid shut again. 

Kosmo glanced up at Keith before nuzzling into Keith's lap, eyes closing as well as he settled in for a little nap.

Lanced sighed quietly and ran his fingers down his face, wincing when he unintentionally pressed on his bruise. He was tired. A lot had happened and now that he knew Keith was okay, his adrenaline was wearing off and exhaustion was taking its place. Getting injured took a lot out of you, no wonder Keith was falling asleep.

Shiro watched Keith settle down with Kosmo and slid his eyes over to Lance, seeing the exhaustion settling in on his face with a slight frown. He needed to be resting. Where was Mila?

Keith opened his eyes slightly, looking at his obviously tired boyfriend at the foot of his bed. Slowly, (and with a bit of wincing) he lightly tapped Lance on his hip with his toe. "Lay down or you're going to fall over," he mumbled.

Lance turned to look at Keith. "Really the only comfortable way for me to do that would be to lay on you and I don’t think either of us would be able to appreciate that right now."

"Hmm." Lance did raise a good point. "Just...don't fall over," he said. "You're already on Mila's bad side."

Lance huffed a laugh and smiled. "Yes, dear."

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance's little laugh before closing his eyes again. A few minutes passed by in relative silence before the door opened again, a still ticked Mila coming through pushing a hospital bed. "Here's your bed," she said, glaring at Lance. "And a change of clothes," she said, whipping a pair of scrubs at the empty bed. "And some worried Paladins," she said as Pidge and Hunk ran into the room. 

Keith blinked at Mila. She was irked and he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Lance -- wincing when the scrubs hit the bed but his expression softened when Pidge and Hunk appeared.

Shiro winced as Mila whipped the scrubs at the bed. "Thanks, Mila," he offered as the others ran into the room. 

Pidge beelined to Keith's bed. "Are you okay?!" they exclaimed before Shiro shushed them. They pulled an apologetic face as they hesitated, wanting to touch Keith's hand or something but not knowing where was safe.

Lance winced as Mila chucked the scrubs at the bed. "Thanks, Mila," he said, softly. "Hey man." 

"Hey, buddy. How are you?" Hunk said walking over to Lance, talking quietly as Pidge worried over Keith.

"Peachy," he said quietly, but still sarcastically. "But Keith is okay, so I can deal with the rest." 

"I was really worried about you. I'm glad you're okay." 

"Sorry, buddy," Lance said. "And me too."

Keith nodded at Pidge. "I'm fine, Pidgey," he reassured. He glanced at Hunk and Lance before moving his attention back to Pidge. Kosmo lifted his head, looking at the three new arrivals before settling once more.

Mila sighed. "Lance, we need to change your bandages when you're ready and get you into your new wardrobe, but first, broth for Keith," she said, sliding out of the room.

"Okay," Lance said, standing and moving over to his bed and sitting down on the edge. This was going to be fun…

Pidge looked at Keith skeptically. "You're covered head to toe in bandages," they argued as Mila slipped out the door. "Can you even feed yourself?"

Keith narrowed his eyes at Pidge. "Yes, I can," he muttered, actually unsure if he could but he guessed he would find out soon.

Shiro looked with concern at Lance. He hadn't seen his wounds yet to know how bad they were.

Mila reentered the room, a small bowl in her hand. She wheeled over a small table and pushed it so it was suspended over Keith's lap. She placed down the bowl and spoon. "Think you can feed yourself, honey?" she asked Keith kindly.

Keith nodded and gingerly picked up the spoon, swirling the plain brown broth before taking a small mouthful, the hand quivering the whole trek.

Mila frowned at the weakness, but refrained from saying anything knowing the young man wouldn't like it. She turned back towards Lance, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Ready mister?"

"Yup. If anyone doesn’t want to see this fine piece of Cuban ass mostly naked, now’s your cue, cause it's about to happen," Lance announced to the room.

Keith turned to level a deadpanned look at his boyfriend. "I'm bed-ridden, what am I supposed to do?" he asked, a small sliver of mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Try not to stare." Lance smirked, winking.

Keith rolled his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips. "Just think of the child," Keith replied, gesturing towards Kosmo who tilted his head in confusion.

Mila chuckled.

Shiro snorted a little. "Lance, I'm sure you'll have plenty of other opportunities to show off. Just focus on healing right now," he chided. He fought hard to keep the color from his face. This guy was going to be the death of him.

Pidge pulled a face. "No, thanks," they added, deliberately turning away although fairly clearly in jest. They knew Lance wouldn't do anything uncomfortable for anyone, themself included.

"Yes, sir." Lance raised an eyebrow in Shiro’s direction, a small smirk on his lips.

Keith chuckled. "Lance," Keith started with a smirk, "be nice to Takashi."

Shiro's ears turned red and he looked away, fidgeting with straightening the objects on Keith's side table.

Pidge raised an eyebrow. What the hell?

"You're right Keith. Sorry, Commander." Lance fought to keep the grin off his face.

Shiro shut his eyes, praying for a moment. "Since when have you ever used that title, Lance," he finally said, turning to look at the younger man with a straight face. "You know it's just Shiro."

"Since now." Lance shrugged. "I thought it'd be fun."

Keith raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "But 'Kashi..."

Shiro's eyes turned to Keith. "Don't you start too," he half-ordered, pointing. "You two are going to be the death of me."

Keith smirked, mirth dancing in his eyes. "I plead the fifth, Commander."

Lance smiled at Keith before turning back to Mila.

Pidge raised her hands. "Woah, lovebirds. You three need a minute? Hunk and I can go," they offered.

Hunk nodded, coughing behind his hand. He could tell something was going on and didn't necessarily want to know what that was.

Shiro shut his eyes and clenched his fists by his sides, willing himself to calm down. His dick didn't have a place here. Especially not right now, while these infuriatingly sadistic men were running their mouths. In the hospital wing of all places. After nearly dying. Jesus fuck, this was his life now.

How the fuck did Lance even know about that, anyways? How did he figure it out? Why was he using it against him? He'd need to ask.  _ Definitely not now, _ he resolved as he watched Mila prepare to change Lance's bandages.

Pidge made eye contact with Hunk, shrugging. That was weird.

Mila rolled her eyes before snapping her fingers. "If you two can stop, I can actually get done what I came in for. And you're supposed to be eating your broth, Cadet," she said, glaring at Keith.

Keith blinked, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks before spooning a mouthful of broth into his mouth.

Lance just smiled at her.

Shiro sighed and sat.

Pidge snorted. "You're in trouble," they sang.

Keith glared at Pidge, lifting his free hand to flip them off.

Pidge grinned. "No thanks, not my thing," they returned.

"When aren't I?"

Shiro leaned forward to pet Kosmo. Lance had a point. He was usually in some kind of trouble, either with him, educators, or medical staff.

Keith rolled his eyes and popped another spoonful into his mouth. 

Mila sighed before looking at Lance. "Ready?" she said, poised to help Lance take his gown off.

"Usually people take me out for dinner first, but I'm willing to make an exception." Lance winked.

"I thought I was your only exception?" Keith said, smirking before popping another spoonful into his mouth.

Lance smiled sweetly at Keith. "Of course you are, babe."

Shiro smirked a little to himself at the exchange between the two. It wasn't anything outside of their norm, but it was still entertaining.

Mila sighed before reaching forward and pulling the string and started pushing the gown off of Lance. "I give up waiting on you," she muttered.

Lance winced as Mila removed the sling and it pulled slightly at his wounds.  
  
Pidge deliberately started petting Kosmo as well to avoid seeing Lance's wounds.

Keith rolled his eyes, setting his spoon down. The light broth did nothing to calm his churning stomach. He leaned back into the bed, eyes drifting towards Lance. He had a feeling seeing Lance's wounds wouldn't make his stomach any better either.   
  
Mila sighed and pulled the gown loose enough that the top fell into Lance's lap. She would finish changing him after she bandaged him back up. She pulled on a pair of gloves and slowly started peeling back the bandages, looking at Lance's face for any signs of distress.   
  
Keith had to close his eyes when he saw the extent of Lance's injuries, guilt washing over him. If he had just paid attention, hadn’t gotten captured...he forced his eyes open. This would be part of his penance. Lance saw his wounds, the least he could do is see Lance's and maybe offer some comfort confined to his bed.

Shiro glanced up, looking over Lance's injuries. They were grisly, but not as bad as they could have been. He was still alive. He would heal. He glanced at Keith, seeing his face blanch as he forced himself to watch, and put his hand on his boyfriend's leg to squeeze it comfortingly. He understood why he was looking, but even though it wasn't easy, hopefully knowing he wasn't going through it alone would help.

Lance knew Keith was watching and kept any pain he was feeling from his face. He just smiled at Mila, letting her know he was fine and to keep going. He had kind of hoped that Keith wouldn’t have to see this. He knew Keith was going to blame himself for it and it wasn’t his fault.

Keith watched as Mila started to dab disinfect gel over the shoulder wound before bandaging it once more. "It looks to be scabbing over nicely," she said. "If you're careful  _ and _ smart you can keep it out of the sling periodically. If it starts bothering you again, sling it. Understand?" she said as she moved onto the side wound, repeating the process. "Wrist, any pain?" she asked, straightening.

Lance nodded, then shook his head. "Nope, all good."

Mila nodded. "Good. Then stand up so you can change. Think you can manage your own pants?" she asked, holding them out.

"No?" Lance said slowly, glancing at his side. He wasn’t sure about pulling at his stitches.

Shiro looked up. "I can help?" he offered.

Mila smiled. "Correct. So proud of you," she said before glancing at Shiro. "You can help him when you guys get back home," she said before kneeling. "Don't fall over," she said, holding the pants open.

Shiro's ears turned red and he nodded. "Sure."

"No promises," he said smiling. Lance stood and the gown that was bunched around his waist, fell to the ground. 

Hunk whistled.

Lance raised an eyebrow in Hunks direction as he stepped into the pants and smiled wide.

"Thanks, buddy. At least someone here appreciates true beauty.” 

Hunk responded with a thumbs up.

Pidge groaned and pointedly didn't look. Shiro's face turned redder and he abruptly turned to Kosmo.

Keith raised an eyebrow at Hunk. "I didn't know you were blind, Hunk," he said with a small smirk, turning his head away for a few coughs before turning back towards the group.

Lance faked a wince, scrunching his face up and bringing his casted arm to his chest over his heart. "Ouch. That one hurt me. Mila. I think I need more stitches."

Mila rolled her eyes and jerked Lance's scrub pants up, tying them tight. "Will you two ever behave?"

"No."

"No."

"No," Shiro answered for them. They were going to be the death of him.

Mila rolled her eyes before grabbing the scrub top. "If I hadn't seen you two kiss, I would think you two hated each other sometimes," she said with a fond smile. 

Lance smiled fondly at Keith. "We hate each other with love."

Shiro shook his head, sighing gently as he scratched behind Kosmo's ears. That was the truth, wasn't it.

Kosmo leaned into Shiro's touch, panting happily.   
  
Keith rolled his eyes. "You're just lucky you're cute," he said with a smirk before he reached down and grabbed his blanket to rest higher on him, feeling cold.  
  
"You two...Not even Pietro and I were this disgusting. I feel sorry for the other paladins."

"Moving on though, we're gonna put this on slow so we don't tear your shoulder stitches," she said, bunching it up and pushing it over Lance's head. She aided him in placing his arms through the short sleeves before letting the bottom of the shirt fall. She nodded and then looked at the gauze on his face. "Now your cheek."  
  
Keith's brows furrowed slightly. He knew something had happened to Lance's cheek, the bandage made it obvious, but he didn't know what.  
  
She slowly started to peel away the pad that was on Lance's face, humming approvingly as she saw what was underneath. "They're healing nicely. Scabbed over. No sign of infection and the broad spectrum we gave you should keep it from forming," she said, walking to toss the pad into the biohazard bin, exposing the claw marks to the room.   
  
Keith felt his heart stop, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the scratches. Someone got so close to Lance, close enough to touch his face. Everything hit Keith. He could've lost Lance. Lost him or Shiro because of his failure as a Blade. Keith stared, guilty and silent.

Lance looked over at Keith. They must look pretty bad if the look on his face was any indication. He hadn't gotten a chance to see what lay under the bandage before they had put it on him. 

Hunk looked at Keith sympathetically. He knew what was under the bandage. Had seen it when the four long lines were fresh and while they looked a lot better now, they still didn’t look good.

"Thanks Mila," Lance muttered, not taking his eyes off Keith. He was still just staring at his cheek. Lance swallowed and forced a huffed laugh, smiling slightly to try to lighten the mood that had dropped again. "That bad, huh?"

Shiro looked up to see the claw marks, gut roiling. He'd left Lance outside, left him open to all of this. He bit back his emotions and kept petting Kosmo.  
  
Pidge frowned. "Think you knew it wasn't good," they deadpanned.

"Pidge," Hunk chided quietly.

Keith blinked, jarred out of his thoughts by Lance's question. "No, they're..." he trailed off.   
  
They weren't fine. Far from it.   
  
Mila smiled sadly. "They don't appear deep enough to really worry about scaring, so don't worry about that, darlings," she reassured both of them.  
  
Keith frowned. He could care less if Lance's face was scared in some way. "It’s not that-" he said, a few coughs interrupting him but once he was finished he couldn't find the right words to continue anyway.   
  
He wanted to hug Lance, kiss the bruise on his face and simply feel Lance's arms around him; Shiro's too. He wanted all of this to be a nightmare.

Pidge frowned, but stayed silent.  
  
Shiro rested his hand on Keith's leg again, trying to reassure him. "It doesn't matter, but it is reassuring. Thank you, Mila." He smiled at her.

Lance didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go to Keith, wrap him up in his arms and never let go. He wanted to wear a suit of bubble wrap so he’d never get hurt again and he’d never have to see that look on his face anymore. He knew Keith was blaming himself and didn’t know how to stop it. Finally, he just sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at his lap. "Keith, stop it."

"I'm not doing or saying anything," Keith muttered.   
  
Mila took a step back, feeling the atmosphere change slightly. She slid to the side of the room, cleaning up her station as she tried to give the boys some privacy.

"I can hear your guilt all the way over here," Lance stated, looking up slightly at Keith. "None of this is your fault. You weren't the one who shot me. You weren't the one who jumped me. That was some asshole that Hunk already took care of. Thanks for that by the way, buddy. You did not hurt me."

Pidge frowned and stood, moving over to Hunk and asking with their eyes if they should go.

Hunk nodded at Lance acknowledging the thanks, but not willing to interrupt the conversation. Seeing Pidges look, he nodded at them too. They had seen that Lance and Keith were alright. They could visit again later. Hunk placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder saying a very quiet goodbye before slipping out the door.

Shiro leaned up, murmuring back at Hunk before watching the other two paladins slip out.

Mila glanced at Lance. _Everything was mostly done_ , she told herself, quietly slipping out as well. She would come back after a few minutes after she checked up on a few other patients.   
  
Keith frowned, his gaze falling to his lap. "...If I didn't get captured though..." he said softly.

"Keith. Do you really think this wouldn't have happened sooner or later? We’re in a war. I'm surprised it's taken me  _ this _ long to get shot. I'm fine. I'll heal. I've been through worse." Lance mentally pictured the giant scar on his back from his first brush with death.

Keith winced. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear, Lance." He sighed. He didn't want to hear about the close calls they've had in the past. He understood what Lance was saying, and he understood it rationally. But his heart and brain were never rational when it came to his boyfriends.

Lance sighed and stood, moving over to sit next to Keith on his bed. "The point is, I'm still here, okay?" Lance said, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he slowly lifted his arm to brush some of Keith's hair away from his face. "I'm not going anywhere."

Keith looked up at Lance, purple eyes shimmering with unshed tears. With a quivering hand, Keith lightly brushed his fingertips against the bruise on Lance's face. "I hope not, I just got you," he whispered before turning to cough a few times, his hand falling back into his lap, clenching the blanket from the pain that came from the coughs.

Concern flashed on Lance's face as Keith coughed again. It didn’t seem to be getting any better. Noticing Keith's hand fisted in the sheets, Lance reached over and took it in his own.

Shiro looked at Keith in concern. "Are you still coughing anything up, or just coughing?" he asked. He was trying not to interfere in their business, but this was Keith's health.

Keith nodded, a few lingering coughs still forcing their way out. "Still water," he croaked out, "just fucking hurts," he added, leaning back and gasping as he tried to regain his breath, his eyes closed.

"Water?" Lance looked at Shiro, confused.

Shiro's face darkened slightly. "We think he was drowned or waterboarded, not sure," he explained before his face cleared.

Lance's eyes widened in horror and he whipped his head around to look at Keith. "What?"

Keith opened his eyes and licked his lips. He didn't look at either of his boyfriends as he said softly, "The second one."

Lance let out a shaky breath, disbelief and sadness covering his face. " _ Dios mio _ ." His hand tightened slightly around Keith's.

Shiro reached a hand out to rub Keith's shoulder. "I didn't want to ask until you were ready," he explained. "I knew they were wanting information, but I hoped..."

Keith let his eyes slide shut again, exhaustion and a budding headache forcing it. "They didn't like no...or fuck you," he said.

Shiro clenched his jaw. "No, they wouldn't," he agreed.

Lance closed his eyes. He wanted to hurt whoever had done this. He wanted to make them pay. The next person who even looked at Keith the wrong way was going to get it. He would never let this happen again.

Keith's turned his head to the side, humming softly once. He shivered as he burrowed down slightly, his half asleep body seeking warmth.

Lance felt Keith shiver and opened his eyes. How was he cold? Lance raised his left arm and gently placed the back of his fingers against Keith's forehead. "Shiro. He feels really warm to me. Is he supposed to have a fever?"

Shiro frowned and raised his human hand up to feel Keith's forehead. "I don't think so," he responded. "Maybe a small one, but not enough to make him cold like this." He looked toward the door, trying to spot Mila.

"Run warm, remember?" Keith mumbled, eyes still closed as he leaned into Lance and Shiro's touch.

"Couple degrees. Not like this," Shiro countered. He'd seen Keith sick enough, kept him out of class in the past for fevers.

Lance hoped it was just a random fever, but he knew he shouldn't hold his breath. That's never how it worked with them.

Keith hummed quietly. "Worrywarts," he mumbled before yawning, but forced his eyes back open to look at Lance before they slid over to Shiro. "I'm fine," he tried to reassure.

Shiro hummed, dubious. "That's up to your medical staff," he responded. "I can wait for Mila to get back or I can get her now. Which would you prefer?"

Keith hummed softly. "Mila is Lance's nurse," he said quietly before opening an eye. "Is there another blanket?"

Lance looked at Shiro again.  _ ‘Another' blanket? _

Shiro frowned but stood, getting the other blanket and draping it over Keith, tucking in the edges. "She's medical staff," he corrected quietly. "And she's paid you better attention than the other one." Something about her was starting to rub him the wrong way. "I'm going to go to the nurse's station. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled. "I would get sick after being tortured," he muttered, frowning slightly.

Lance frowned. It was always something. "You've been through enough," he whispered so quietly he was basically just mouthing the words.

Keith let his head roll so his face was towards Lance, his eyes closed. He felt like shit. Utter shit. His stomach was churning and he felt like he was plunged in ice cold water. He tried to keep his breathing steady in a futile attempt to quell his queasiness.

Lance looked over Keith's face as he let go of Keith's hand and reached out to brush some hair behind his ear. A faint twinge went through his shoulder but he ignored it and laid his palm against Keith's skin and ran a thumb across his cheek.

Keith hummed softly, leaning into the touch slightly. An eye eased open, a sliver of purple peeking through. It fell shut again, Keith murmuring a quiet "Missed you," as it did.

Lance sighed softly. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

Keith's lips quirked upward in a small smile before a series of weak coughs came out, his brow furrowing as he turned away from Lance. He chirped once, broken and quiet as he slumped back into the bed, his face turned away from Lance.

Dr. Sorey came in, followed by Shiro. "...and he's still coughing really badly, but I think all the water should be up by now," Shiro continued, looking worriedly at where Keith was slumped against the pillows.

Lance frowned at the chirp, letting his hand fall back down to hold Keith's. He turned slightly toward the doorway as Shiro and Sorey walked in.

Dr. Sorey frowned as he made his way to Keith's bedside. "I'm going to listen to your breathing, Keith," he said as he put his stethoscope into his ears. He frowned as he listened. He leaned back and began taking Keith's other vitals, his frown deepening. "Can you sit up, just a bit," he asked Keith. 

Keith sighed and slowly began to sit up, wincing as he did. 

Sorey looked up at Lance. "Can you hold up his shirt? I need to check his back."

Shiro frowned and hovered near the side of Keith's bed next to Lance. He wished he could pet his hair, do anything to give him comfort. He settled for resting a hand on the blanket over Keith's leg and turned an eye to Sorey, watching his reactions closely.

Lance leaned forward a bit and gripped the bottom of the sides of Keith's shirt, lifting it slowly and away so it wouldn't brush against his back.

Sorey leaned forward and undid the bandages that were around Keith's waist. Once done, he pressed the help button to call a nurse, realizing he'd need new bandages once he was done. He slowly and gingerly peeled back the gauze and frowned. They were still red and irritated, a few bleeding sluggishly still. "There's no obvious sign of infection," Sorey mumbled more so to himself as the door opened.

Sorey looked over his shoulder. "Nurse Laogai, can you please get some gauze and bandages?" He then glanced up at the now nearly empty bag on the IV. "And another dose of morphine and Ticacillin as well."

She nodded and slipped out. "Well, there is no sign of infection, obvious ones at least, but we're going to give him some broad-spectrum antibiotics to combat whatever is in his system and keep an eye on him," Sorey said as Laogai entered the room again, handing him the bandages and then started hooking up the IV bags.

Shiro eyed Laogai as she started hooking up the bags. "And the rest of the symptoms? He's still practically shivering under three blankets," he pointed out to Sorey.

"I'm guessing the conditions weren't the best from where you got him so I'm thinking infection. While the marks on the back- thanks Nurse - marks of his back aren't infected, there are numerous smaller ones that an infection could've gotten into hence the antibiotic." Sorey explained as he rewrapped Keith's waist. "You can lay back down now," he said, kindly smiling as Keith did so.

Lance let Keith's shirt down and leaned back as Keith lay back.

Shiro kept frowning. While it was true that the conditions weren't ideal, a lot of debris had been contained by the tarp. Granted, Shiro had no idea what had happened when Keith had been being tortured, so that didn't mean a whole lot. "And the cough is related to that?" He couldn't keep the dubious concern from his voice.

"From what I heard, he still has some fluid in his lungs," Sorey answered, frowning, "which concerns me but he's actively coughing it up so I’d rather not put him under surgery."

"I second that want," Keith muttered.

Shiro frowned. Sorey's logic was sound. As much as he wanted Keith to be better immediately, it wasn't going to happen and the doctor was doing his best. Something still didn't feel right, though. This didn't feel like normal complications from his imprisonment.

"Sorry to bother you, Doctor," Shiro murmured, head bowed as he reflected on everything, a little ashamed he'd overreacted but not sorry enough to abandon the line of reasoning completely.

Sorey chuckled soundlessly. "You're just worried, I understand," Sorey said. "I’ll let you guys relax. Let me know if you need anything or have any questions," he said before heading out. 

Keith sighed, closing his eyes once more. He shivered and reached down to grab the blanket and haphazardly pull them over himself as he body grew cold.

Lance reached forward to help him. "Sorry, cariño," he muttered quietly. He wished they knew what was wrong.

Shiro clenched his jaw. He felt useless. Couldn't do anything but try to make them both comfortable, and he couldn't even manage that. 

"If you two want to try to get some rest, I'll help you get situated," he offered, not sure what else to do. Both of them needed to recover, and rest would likely help.

Keith hummed before turning to look over at Shiro with half lidded eyes. "Wouldn't mind a body warmer," he mumbled, smiling lazily.

Shiro hummed. That wasn't surprising. "You want Lance or me?" he asked, willing to give his place up for the younger Paladin. They needed the comfort of each other more than Shiro did.

Keith hummed, his eyes closing. "Both?"

Shiro sized up the hospital bed. Larger than a normal one, but still probably a tight fit for three grown men. "I dunno if that's gonna work," he said honestly. "I don't need either of you getting hurt worse."

"We could pull my bed over," Lance suggested.

Shiro tilted his head consideringly. "Assuming these are both new models," he agreed, moving to the other side to test Keith's railing. It was easy enough to push down and under, and Shiro did the same to Lance's bed before dragging it over and pushing the two together. He pressed a button to secure the attachment. "Lucked out there," he mused to himself. "Lance, I'll let you get in first so I can situate you both before I follow."

Lance stood and moved out of the way as Shiro pushed his bed over. Nodding in response to Shiro's request, Lance sat down on his bed, swinging his legs up and scooted closer to Keith.

Shiro came around to Lance's side, rearranging blankets so he wouldn't have to move his injured arm to pull them up. He then moved back to his own side and rolled to Keith's other side, tucking his legs under the blankets in an attempt to get closer to Keith and keep him warm.

Keith turned his head, his forehead brushing against Shiro's shoulder while his hand reached and grasped Lance's hand. Faint shivers racked his lithe body, a small furrow between his brows.

Shiro rearranged the blankets again and curled toward Keith, opening his body for him to cuddle closer if he wanted or needed to. He made a sympathetic noise.

Lance turned onto his left side and squeezed Keith's hand. Closing his eyes, he pushed his forehead slightly into Keith's shoulder and sighed.

Keith wanted to turn on his side, melt into Shiro's side and let Lance curl around him but knew that was probably a bad idea. He settled for pulling Lance's hand to rest on his chest, over his heart while pushing his face into Shiro's body hoping the lack of light would help curb his headache. 

Kosmo whined, placing his front paws onto the bed. He looked at the cuddling trio and gingerly climbed onto the bed like he would do back home. He laid on their feet, curling up so his head rested on Keith's knee. 

Shiro lifted his arm to wrap it around Keith's back, hand ruffling Lance's hair slightly before resting on Keith's head to block out some of the light. 

Lance leaned into the brief touch of his hair. He didn't remember exactly when he'd given in and stopped trying to deny and hide the feelings he'd developed for Shiro over the past six months. It had been confusing at first, he didn't know how to deal with the fact that he was crushing hard on his boyfriend's boyfriend, and worried that it somehow meant he felt less for Keith, but the feelings for both only grew stronger over time. When he'd finally confessed to Hunk, he’d told him to go for it, especially since the older man had already once admitted to having feelings for Lance, but everytime Lance tried to give him the go ahead, Shiro seemed to back away. He wasn't sure what that meant. Did he not like him anymore? But instead of talking about it, Lance just decided to try and be less subtle, which was a feat in and of itself as he wasn't very subtle to begin with. So he flirted, a lot. And returned affection and leaned into the casual touches Shiro gave him, hoping that maybe it would finally be enough for the other man to give him some sign that he still felt the same. 

Lance turned his attention back to Keith's heartbeat under his fingers.

Keith shivered slightly, burrowing further into Shiro's arm. "How long was I gone?" he asked. He vaguely remembered something about the lions alerting them but not sure if he went over his mission time or something.

Shiro let himself nuzzle his nose into Keith's hair. "The lions woke us up on the third day. You weren't late yet, but they were insistent that something was wrong," he informed his boyfriend softly. He'd almost written it off as a trick of his brain, a simple nightmare until the others had called him with the same concern. It wasn't like he hadn't had similar nightmares when Keith left before, but they typically didn't involve his lion growling in his ear. "We had to pressure Kolivan pretty hard for your location, and even then he wasn't happy to give it up."

Keith coughed weakly before settling once more. "Didn't have any reason to think I was in danger," he said, trying to justify Kolivan's reaction. "Probably thought you two were overreacting."

"He wasted time," Lance grumbled quietly.

Shiro shushed Lance softly. "He was following protocol," he explained. "I understood why, but it was frustrating for us. Lance in particular." He looked to the Blue Paladin, recalling how determined and slightly desperate he had been when trying to convince the Blades. Shiro had been trying to stay rational, but had been close to losing it when Kolivan had finally relented.

Keith lightly squeezed Lance's hand, a few more coughs coming out and making him wince. "He broke protocol by telling you where I was," Keith said. "Protocol would've been to forget me and classify me as MIA or dead."

Lance squeezed back. "No way we would've let that happen. I would've had Pidge hack the system to get your coordinates if I had too."

Shiro snorted a laugh. "They almost did anyway," he agreed. "I had to convince them to wait and avoid an incident."

"Sounds like them," Keith mumbled, brows furrowed. He thought pain medication was supposed to ebb the pain, not just make him feel queasy.

Shiro hummed and looked down. "Doing okay? You look like you're still in pain," he said as he looked over to check the morphine drip.

"Yeah," Keith whispered even though he felt the opposite. His body felt like he was back in the cell. Cold and in pain. His grasp tightened on Lance's hand as a shiver went through his worn body. At their feet, Kosmo whined quietly, his eyes focused on Keith.

"You're lying," Lance mumbled softly against Keith's shoulder.

"No proof," he slurred back, eyes closed as he put every other brain cell to work on simply not vomiting. He whimpered quietly before a series of harsh coughs tore him away from Shiro's shoulder, the lithe man using his free hand to cover his mouth.

Shiro let Keith move how he needed to, concern on his features. He looked to Lance before he trained his eyes back on Keith and reached for something to retch into if needed, hand closing around an empty trash can and bringing it up into his lap where Keith could reach.

Lance locked eyes with Shiro for a moment, seeing the same concern in his eyes. "You were saying."

Keith rolled his eyes before he closed them, trying to catch his breath. The furrow remained between his brows. His heart felt like it was going to pump itself out of his chest.

Shiro reached over and pressed the call button. This didn't seem like infection, at least not like he'd seen before. He hadn't even felt like this when he was delirious from it.

Nurse Laogai came in, eyebrow rising when she saw the three of them cuddling on the bed. "What seems to be the problem?" she inquired.

Shiro frowned. He'd hoped for Mila. "He's having difficulty breathing, he can't catch his breath," he explained. "I don't think that's a normal infection symptom..."

Laogai approached the bed. "Can you sit up Cadet?"

Keith pushed himself up as Laogai put her stethoscope into her ears. She listened to Keith's struggling breathing before leaning back. She glanced up at his vitals. "105.3," she said. "Lay back down," she instructed. "The fluid in his lungs seems to be impeding his breathing more than we thought and the infection is affecting his body more probably due to his weakened state. Besides the fever and difficulty breathing is there anything else I should pass on to the doctor?"

"Nausea. Migraine," Keith croaked out.

Lance watched Keith in concern, but said nothing. Waiting for the nurse to do something about it.

Shiro looked at Laogai. "So, action plan?" he asked, voice clearly expecting results.

"Up to the doctor. I will pass the information along," she said. "If that's all," she said, crossing her arms. 

Keith shook his head, knowing at that point there was nothing left for her to do although his mates might have different ideas.

Lance looked at her, confused. What the heck was up her ass?

Shiro stood from the bed, squeezing Keith's hand briefly as he did. "I'll see that you do," he agreed as he followed her out the door.

Keith sighed, although that only caused more coughing. He covered his mouth, his body instinctually rolling away from Lance and into the empty spot that Shiro left. His body shook with each one. As they dissipated, he let his hand fall from his mouth. Feeling something wet on his skin, he forced his eyes open and blinked at the red dots that decorated his palm in confusion. Blood?

At the foot of the bed, Kosmo whined, gently pawing at Keith's knee and looking at the other paladin as Keith started coughing once more.

Lance pushed himself up onto his left elbow and watched over Keith as he coughed. After the first wave of coughs, Keith's hand dropped back to the bed and Lance's eyes widened at the small droplets of blood spattered on his palm. "Shit," Lance muttered. "Shiro!" he called as he rolled off the bed, wincing as he rolled onto his right shoulder. He raced to the door and looked down the hallway in the direction that Shiro and Laogai had gone. "Shiro!" he called again, not willing to leave Keith to go after them.

Shiro paused from following a huffy Laogai down the hall when he heard Lance call his name. "Lance?" He looked confused as he moved back toward the hallway. The note of panic in his voice propelled him forward until he was in view. "What's wrong?"

"He's coughing up blood," Lance answered when he finally saw Shiro at the corner.

Shiro's eyes widened a little and he rounded on Laogai. "Excess fluid?" he asked sarcastically before powering down the hall to find Sorey himself.

Laogai rolled her eyes but marched her way back to the room. She detached the beds and pushed Lance's back. She guided Keith to sit back against the elevated bed. She took out the cannula and put an oxygen mask on in its place. "Deep breaths, cadet," she instructed, frowning.

Lance wandered back into the room and sat in the chair next to the bed, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Sorey saw Shiro walking toward him, his gait obviously hurried. "Commander? Everything okay?"

Shiro stopped very close to Sorey. "Your nurse just incorrectly diagnosed my Paladin with fluid in his lungs when he's coughing up blood," he seethed quietly. "And her bedside manner is less than stellar. I want her off his team."

Sorey frowned and headed towards Keith's room. "When did his condition start to worsen?" he asked.

"He's been getting worse for a while. Nausea, migraine. He just started having noticeably labored breathing when I called the nurse," he informed him as he followed behind.

Sorey nodded as he entered the room. He walked to the opposite side of the bed that Laogai was on. He glanced up at Keith's vitals and frowned heavily. "When did his temperature get this high?" he asked, shocked to see it nearly at 106. 

"I'm not sure, Doctor. I responded to their call and found him having trouble breathing."

Sorey nodded and looked down at Keith, his expression confused and troubled.  _ What is causing this? _ he couldn't help but think. 

"Get him a high dose of acetaminophen and some cold blankets. We need to get this fever down before he gets brain damage," he ordered, Laogai rushing out of the room to do so. 

Sorey eased over the bed and began running vital checks on Keith and checking visible wounds for signs of infection. "Was he complaining of anything besides a headache or nausea? Was he lucid?"

"Still lucid now," Keith gasped out.

Sorey gave Keith a tense smile. "Right now, I need you to focus on breathing and let Lance or the Commander answer, okay?"

Keith frowned but did as he was told, his eyes sliding shut. 

"Stay awake though," Sorey added before looking up at the other two men, looking for answers.

"I think he might be in more pain then he said," Lance said, remembering how Keith would squeeze his hand tightly every once in a while.

Sorey frowned but nodded. "We'll look into better pain management once - nurse," Sorey reached for the chilled blankets, laying them over Keith - Kosmo jumping off the bed and sitting beside Lance - as Laogai injected a syringe full of acetaminophen into Keith's arm. 

Sorey looked at Keith and back at his vitals. "15 minute wellness check for the next hour, replace the blankets each time," he said to Laogai. "If the temperature hasn't fallen below 104 or increases anymore, call," Sorey said, looking both at Shiro and Lance.

Laogai frowned at her orders but nodded and slid out of room to prepare the next set of blankets. 

Sorey sighed, his eyes shifting back towards the shivering form on the bed. "He was doing fine," he muttered.

Lance absently moved his hand to run his fingers over Kosmos head. He wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure.

Shiro frowned. "I want her off his team," he insisted again. "He was stable until he was moved here."

He crossed his arms, resolved.

Lance looked over at Shiro and then to Sorey. "Can we have Mila?" he asked a bit quietly.

Sorey raised an eyebrow at Shiro. "There could be numerous factors as to why Keith's condition deteriorated. He was a high risk for infection because of what happened." Sorey tried to explain. Hearing Lance's soft request, Sorey sighed. "I can try. No promises though. Just...keep an eye on Keith and we'll do our job, okay?" Sorey said with a reassuring smile.

Lance nodded. "Thanks, doc." He went back to watching his boyfriend while scratching Kosmos head.

Shiro grit his teeth. Her bedside manner was still less than stellar. He still had a hunch. But he'd trust Sorey, if only because Lance did. He stayed standing but nodded once.

Sorey nodded once more before sliding out of the room.

Kosmo whined, slowly approaching the bed. He nosed the hand closest to him. Keith's head slowly rolled towards him, teeth chattering and his body shivering badly. "H-hey boy," he said, mist fogging up his oxygen mask with every labored breath he took.

Lance drew in a quiet shuddering breath. It was hard, seeing Keith like this. Again. He should be used to it by now, but it never failed to crush him slowly every time. It never got easier. Only harder. Because what if this was the one time. He'd had so many near misses, luck had to run out sometime. He just had to keep hoping that this wasn't it.

Shiro unfolded his arms and placed his hand on Lance's good shoulder, squeezing lightly. He felt the same way, but didn't have the luxury of falling apart. Not when they both needed him. "Sorry, jagiya. I know we'd both like to keep you warm, but doctor's orders." He looked to Keith and tried to force the grimace from his face.

Lance glanced briefly at the hand on his shoulder before turning back to Keith. He lifted his left arm and held one of Shiro's fingers between his thumb and forefinger.

Keith's lips twitched upward slightly before coughing once more, small dots of red appearing on the mask. His eyes fluttered shut, a soft distressed chirping coming from him.

Shiro took Lance's grasp on his finger and held onto it like a lifeline. He made a soft noise as Keith chirped, other hand moving to rest on the blankets over his body. So cold. "Just a little bit, then we can warm you up," Shiro comforted.

Keith hummed softly. More coughs and more droplets of blood appeared before Keith's eyes shot open and widened. He quickly turned away from his boyfriends, pushed the oxygen mask aside, and proceeded to vomit, bright red hitting the tiled floor. On the bed, now exposed was also a red puddle, the back of Keith's scrub top also soaked.

Lance's eyes went wide, his fingers constricting around Shiro's as he stood. "Shiro." Lance's breaths were coming faster now as his heartbeat picked up. He surged forward and pressed the call button repeatedly, eyes never leaving Keith. "Hold on, sweetheart. I'm calling for Mila."

Shiro's eyes widened along with Lance's, not bothering to rush for the call button as he saw Lance go for it. He instead headed for the hall. "Sorey, Mila," he hollered. "Someone, please." He didn't want to see Keith bleed out in front of him. Not after everything.

Keith dry heaved over the side of his bed, the taste of iron nearly making him hurl again. Vaguely, he could hear Shiro and Lance yell and call for aid. Even Kosmo was barking, trying to get someone to come.

Sorey turned around when he heard the commotion from the room he just left, rushing back. His eyes widened when he saw the pool of blood and turned, seeing both Mila and Laogai rushing to the room. "Mila, 2 units type specific stat," he ordered, the woman turning and running to fulfill the order. "Patricia, with me," he said, walking in with Laogai. 

He pushed Keith back onto the bed and placed the oxygen mask back over his face when he noticed the man was having a hard time breathing. 

Mila came in, blood bags in her hands. "What happened? He was stable the last time I saw him!"

Sorey shook his head. "I don't know. He's not clotting anymore. It’s like his platelets decided to take a vacation. Patricia, grab 3 units of platelets, we need him to clot or the blood we're pumping into him is pointless," he said as Mila squeezed a bag of blood into Keith. 

Laogai rushed out of the room. Sorey looked at Keith, frowning.  _ What is wrong with him? _

Lance swallowed hard and moved away from the bed, not wanting to get in their way. "Keith," he breathed as tears welled up in his eyes. His hands were shaking. "Please."

Shiro grit his teeth, wanting so badly to kick the other nurse out. He didn't want her here. He bit back the feeling and moved to Lance, putting an arm around his shoulders to try and support him.

Lance turned into him, wrapping his arms around Shiro's waist, gripping his shirt tightly, but kept his head turned to see Keith.

Shiro brought his other hand up to rest on Lance's waist, wanting to protect him from the sight but knowing he shouldn't. Lance would fight him tooth and nail if he tried to, anyways. He pulled him closer. "Keith..." he trailed off, horrified.

"Blood pressure dropping," Mila called out, her eyes trained on Keith's vitals. "O2 falling as well."

Sorey swore as Laogai re-entered the room. "Squeeze the platelets!' he ordered. "Crank the O2."

The two nurses did as they were told. Sorey let out a deep breath. "What drug can we use to clot his blood that won't cause a reaction?"

Mila frowned. "I don't know. We never had to..."

Sorey sighed. "Give him aprotinin and hope it doesn't give him one."

Mila nodded and ran to get the drug while Laogai moved to squeeze both the blood and platelets.

Suddenly Keith started to cough, his back arching. Sorey swore once more, pushing the mask aside and rolling him on the side. A river of blood spilled out of his mouth and splattered across the floor.

" _ Dios mio _ ," Lance breathed, the first tear falling. "Shiro. What do we do?" His voice wavered as he spoke, squeezing Shiro tighter. "Keith."

Shiro clutched onto Lance as well, eyes wide. "We can't..." do anything, he finished silently as he watched. Why weren't more people here helping?

Sorey gently eased Keith back onto his back. "Suction," he called. Mila handed him a small tube and Sorey placed it in Keith's mouth, the tube filling with blood. 

"Get a tox screen on some of this blood. Something has to be causing this," Sorey ordered before looking down at his patient, frowning when he saw Keith's eyes closed. "Keith, still with me buddy?"

He rubbed his knuckles into Keith's sternum, swearing when no reaction came from the pain. "He's unconscious," he said, gritting his teeth. 

"And his pressure is dropping," Mila added.

"Push more blood. Patricia, tox screen stat and grab more type specific," he snapped.

Laogai left the room, a scowl on her face. 

Mila looked up at Sorey, her eyes showing her worry. "If he continues-"

"I know," Sorey said, interrupting her. "We need to let the clotting medicine get a chance to work and hope that there is something in that tox screen that will give us some answers."

Unconscious? "Keith?" Lance called wetly as he pulled away from Shiro. "You gotta wake up, cariño."

Shiro swallowed down his tears. He couldn't do that now. "How long does the tox screen take," he asked, barely loud enough to be heard.

"Hopefully not long. His blood is a bit hard to process with it being mi-"

"Sorey, his pressure!" Mila shouted, an alert starting to go off as Keith's blood pressure fell. 

Sorey's eyes widened as he saw Keith's pressure plummet. 

Moments later, Keith's heart went into fibrillation. His heart monitor went off, the alarm loud and piercing. 

Kosmo started barking feverishly as Sorey lowered Keith to a prone position, climbed on top of him, and started CPR while Mila moved to the top of the bed, replacing the mask with a manual pump.

"Where the fuck is Laogai?" Sorey couldn't help but hiss. "Grab the crash cart," he ordered. "Give him 2ccs of epi, we need to get his heart going," he said as he continued compressions, wincing when he heard a rib break. 

Mila nodded and sprinted out of the room.

Lance's eyes widened when the shrill noise filled the air. No. "Keith. No. Keith! KEITH!" Lance shouted, tears falling freely now.

Shiro's eyes widened as tears started falling, trying to grab for both Lance and Kosmo to keep them clear. They needed space to work. "Keith please, please don't," he murmured as he did his best to try and keep everyone together.

The door slammed open as Mila came in, pushing a cart full of medical equipment with Laogai in tow. Laogai quickly added the new units of blood up to the machine before moving to manually pump air into Keith's lungs. 

"Charge to 250," Sorey said, looking at Mila as she pushed the epi into Keith's arm. 

He climbed off of Keith as he heard the machine charge. He grabbed a pair of scissors to cut through Keith's top and placed two bright orange pads on his chest.

He was handed the paddles and he looked at the nurses. "Clear!"

Keith's body arched as the shock went through his chest. 

When it fell back, the alarm still played.

"KEITH!" Lance cried. "KEITH!" Lance kept blinking trying to clear the tears from his eyes so he could see. "Shiro. Oh my god. Keith, no. Keith, babe, wake up! Please."

Shiro dropped his hand from Kosmo to wrap it around Lance. "Shh, Lance, we have to let them work. We have to believe he'll stay-" he cut himself off as he kept watching. He knew how bad this looked, and he was terrified, but he had to try and stay calm. Stay above it.

Sorey glanced over his shoulders, his brows furrowing when he saw the three of them still standing in the room. "Get them out of here," he said, looking at Mila. 

Mila nodded and headed towards the trio, a sympathetic look on her face. "You don't need to see this," she said softly, wincing when she heard Sorey shock Keith once more. 

"What?" Lance didn't want to go. He needed to be there, for Keith. "Mila. No, please," Lance pleaded.

Mila whirled around when she heard the soft beeps of a heartbeat. 

Sorey let out a deep breath, a smile spread onto his face. "Thank God," he breathed. 

He turned to place the paddles back into their homes on the defibrillator only for the soft beeps to once again turn monotoned as Keith's heart went into fibrillation once more

A wave of relief washed through him when the monitor started beeping again. Lance smiled wetly and let out a choked laugh. Thank god. It was quickly replaced by cold dread when the alarm sounded again. He felt the color drain from his face. "No! Keith! God, please, no! Keith! KEITH!"

Shiro began to smile in relief before Keith flatlined again. He couldn't stop the broken noise that tore itself from his throat. "Keith, please," he finally broke down and started half-sobbing, nonsense and foreign languages he couldn't comprehend coming from him. He clutched tightly to Lance.

"Mila, I need you over here now," Sorey snapped. 

Mila turned but stopped and looked at the trio. "Leave. Now," she said before rushing back to Keith's bed, squeezing the blood and platelets bags. 

Sorey looked up at the vitals. "How long?"

"15 minutes"

"Another round of epi. Charge to 350."

Shiro was broken, but he could still understand commands. Could still do this.

"Lance," he said as he started pulling the other paladin away. "Lance, we need to go-"

"No! Shiro, I'm not leaving. I have to be here. I can't leave him. Keith!" Lance yelled, struggling against Shiro.

Sorey gave Keith another shock, the lithe man's body arching into the air before settling. The nurses' and doctor's eyes looked at the screen, its line bouncing a few times before falling into fibrillation once more. 

Sorey swore. "One more. 450. Epi."

The nurses followed the orders and a few moments later, another shock was delivered. Keith fell against the bed, rattling the frame.

Sorey held his breath and closed his eyes as the alarm came back. Slowly, he placed the paddles back into the defibrillator and looked at the trio with sorrowful eyes. There was nothing he could do. Keith’s heart wasn’t responding to the defibrillator nor the medicine. A few seconds passed before Keith’s heart stopped completely. 

"KEITH! KEITH! NO! DAMN IT, MULLET. WAKE UP!" Lance screamed. He turned, shaking, towards Sorey. "Don't you dare stop," he growled angrily through his tears. "Bring. Him. Back. NOW!"

Shiro sucked in a deep breath but kept his cry fairly quiet, all things considered. He clutched to Lance, trying to hold him back. "Keith, please," he begged quietly. "Not like this. We were supposed to grow old..."

Lance looked over at Mila. "Mila, please. Please. I love him so much, please," he sobbed.

"He hasn't had a liveable rhythm for over fifteen minutes and no sign of breath either." Sorey said softly as he approached the two men. "I'm so sorry but there's nothing we can do."

Mila kept her head down as she detached Keith from the machines. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she heard Lance pleas. 

Kosmo whimpered, barking a few times before whining.

Shiro nodded but kept crying, burying his face in Lance's shoulder. "Can we see him," he asked quietly, brokenly.

"Bullshit," Lance sobbed. "That's fucking bullshit. There has to be something you can do. Anything. Give him-god, take whatever you need from me. My lungs, my heart, whatever he needs. They're his anyway. Just, please. Save him." Lance clutched at Shiro's arm around him, his body still shaking badly. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand.

Shiro made a broken sound. "I can't lose both of you," he cried quietly. "Not you too, not like this..."

Mila looked up at Lance, tears falling, "Lance, honey, he wouldn't..." she sniffled as she went through the motions of declaring Keith dead. 

Lance listened to their apologies, but didn't really hear them. His gaze was fixed on one small point on the floor, tears still running steadily down his face. 

Sorey looked at Shiro and Lance. "We have to declare him first then you can have all the time you need with him." Sorey had tears in his eyes. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, I wish I knew why-"

"Sorey, there's a pulse! Sorey!"

Sorey turned at Mila's yell, his eyes wide. "Hook him back up to the machine!" he ordered rushing back.

"Tachycardia, doctor," Laogai said once Keith was hooked back up, a fast, short beeping and alarm echoing around the room.

"You are one stubborn man," Sorey muttered. "Charge to 450 and hope this works." 

Sorey couldn't help himself. He closed his eyes and prayed to every deity he could think of that this would work as he shocked Keith for the fourth time. 

When Keith settled once more on the table, his pulse was leveling out and Mila couldn't help but let out a small sob when Laogai muttered, "Normal rhythm."

Sorey let out a shaky laugh as he placed the paddles back. Mila put her fingers once again back on Keith's wrist, nodding when the pulse she felt matched the one on the screen.

At Mila's exclamation, Lance's head snapped up, a surge of adrenaline shooting through his body as hope filled his chest. He listened to the sound of Keith's heartbeat monitor. Lance wondered if that wasn't the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

"Is he-?" Lance swallowed and looked at Mila, hope shining in his red eyes.

Shiro nodded, numb as he accepted the doctor's explanation. He stared off into space until Mila yelled, head snapping up as they started working on him again. "He's back?" he said hoarsely, hopefully.

He didn't let himself hope too much just in case. He'd been disappointed in the past and didn't want to hurt more if the rug was pulled out from under them.

Mila looked at the two men. "He's not out of the woods. Not even close but," she gave them a shaky smile, "you have one stubborn man. He has a pulse and is breathing. Right now, that's all that matters."

Sorey checked Keith's breathing, frowning when he heard the fluid filled lungs. "We need to drain his lungs or all of this will be nothing," he said. 

"And that will be pointless if we don't know what's causing this. He’s still bleeding from his wounds, Sorey," Mila said. 

Sorey nodded. "Go grab the tox screen. Laogai, grab a drainage kit and a cold compress. His fever is still too high," he said, the nurses leaving quickly.

He looked back down at Keith, eyebrows rising when he saw glazed, confused purple irises peeking out. "Keith? You with us?" he asked, rubbing his knuckles against Keith's sternum again.

Keith grunted, his body shifting slightly to move away from the pain.

"Keith? Keith!" Lance exclaimed, a relieved smile taking over his face.

Shiro looked up, shock and hope on his face. He's still alive. Still being stubborn. "Keith," he said, dragging Lance over with him to the bedside.

Keith's head rolled, his weary eyes looking at his two boyfriends. He was pale and blood crusted his lips and chin. Each breath he took looked to be a struggle and agony. 

Sorey looked at the two men, torn between stopping them and allowing them to come closer. Empathy won and he stepped aside, moving closer to Keith's feet so they could come closer to his face.

"Oh god, Keith." Lance breathed, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to Keith's, fingers tangling lightly in his hair. A few tears dripped onto Keith's cheeks as they continued to fall from Lance's eyes. "Thank god. You scared us, sweetheart."

Shiro came up behind Lance, hands on his shoulders. "Never do that again," he laughed disbelievingly, voice a little watery. His eyes kept roving his form, taking it in, committing it to memory. Keith was alive. He'd come back. "I'm the one who does the dying."

Lance squeezed his eyes shut. "That's not funny," he said wetly.

A low timber purr - the purr Keith subconsciously used to comfort his lovers - started to come from Keith's chest. His lids fell shut once more, but the purrs continued as a tear slipped from his eye. 

Sorey's heart ached at the scene, a few tears of his own springing to his eyes.

Lance moved up to press his lips to Keith's sweaty forehead. He lingered a moment before pulling back slightly, his lips still brushing the hot skin as he spoke. "I love you. So much."

Shiro reached down to touch Keith's hand, holding it lightly. He would let Lance take comfort now - he obviously needed the reassurance. "We both do," he said sincerely. "Thank you, Keith."

A few more tears slipped from Keith's eyes, his emotions and pain getting the best of him. A quiet distressed chirp came out, raspy and pained. 

Sorey watched the scene, his attention torn from it when he heard the door open and then, “Doctor.”

Sorey looked at Mila as she walked up to him, her face angry and concerned as she handed him a sheet of paper.

Sorey read over Keith's tox screen, his eyes finding two things wrong instantly.

There was no morphine in his system. 

And he was given fentanyl, a medicine deadly to Galrans.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorey's eyes locked with Mila's. "Get security," he said, knowing Laogai was the only other person who had access to Keith's medicine.

Mila nodded and rushed out of the room. Sorey turned to the IV bags and quickly took the supposed morphine bag off. It was nearly empty.

Lance leaned back and looked over at Sorey, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Security? "What happened?"

Shiro watched as Sorey hurriedly unhooked one of the bags. He read the label clearly this time and saw that it wasn't morphine. His face shuttered and he squeezed Keith's hand once before standing up straight. "That bitch, the whole fucking time," he seethed, hands balling into fists. "It was her, right?"

Sorey looked at Shiro before letting out a slow breath. "No other nurse has come in here. Only Mila and Patricia, right?" he asked.

Shiro nodded. "Only you three," he confirmed. "And it's not exactly an easy medication mix-up, is it," he asked, wanting to give the nurse the benefit of the doubt despite needing someplace to assign the blame to.

Sorey frowned before slowly shaking his head. "He was given fentanyl. Medication that is deadly to Galrans," Sorey said quietly. "It destroys blood platelets and causes system failure. It’s too...specific for it to be a mix up," he said. 

Mila popped back into the room. "Security detained Laogai. She had a syringe full of fentanyl in her pocket," she said. 

Sorey closed his eyes. "She was trying to kill him."

Mila nodded. "And if we don't reverse it, she might."

Lance paled, eyes darting between the three before turning back to Keith and taking in the sheen on his skin from the fever, the dried blood on his mouth and chin, his labored breathing. Anger pooled in his stomach, rising quickly like a fire through his body. He grit his teeth together and his eyes hardened through his tears. That nurse, the one he didn't like, that bitch had tried to kill Keith, was still trying. Beautiful, perfect Keith. The love of his life. Laogai; that bitch would pay.

"You can fix it right? Reverse it or whatever," Lance asked, looking over at Mila, letting his anger take a back seat to his concern. He would deal with Laogai later, for now he needed to make sure without a doubt that Keith would be okay.

Shiro ground his teeth together and nodded. She was in custody. That was good enough for now. The threat was neutralized and he could deal with her later. Keith and Lance came first. He trained his eyes on the latter of the two, watching as his eyes turned steely before asking after Keith's wellbeing. He could already tell he was going to regret whatever Lance was going to do once he knew Keith was safe.

Sorey looked at the two. "I wish there was an easy antidote but..." he trailed off. "Half the battle is already done with it no longer being pumped into his body. We can treat the symptoms, but this isn't a typical poison that affects humans. We don't know what the antidote to a fentanyl poisoning to a Galran is, or a half-Galran to be exact," Sorey explained. 

Mila's eyes widened. "Laogai also had a drainage kit. I should go get that," Mila said, headed towards the door.

"Cold compress, damp cloths and morphine too," he added before looking at Keith with sadness.  _ The amount of pain you are probably in _ , he thought. 

Keith's eyes opened a fraction. He tried to say something but could only manage a whimper and some faint mumbles.

Lance squeezed his eyes shut and turned to Keith. Everything would be okay, it had to be. "Shh, don’t try to talk, sweetheart. Save your strength." He turned to look at Shiro. "Could Coran? And Pidge. If anyone could figure it out quickly, they could, right?"

Shiro's brow furrowed in thought as he worked through the possibility. "Maybe? Medicine isn't either of their specialties, but they made do while we were on the Castle of Lions. Pidge could probably program a sandbox to try different drugs against until something works, and Coran would know Galran biology better than any of us besides the Blades," he murmured as he thought through it, his time spent with Pidge's brother flying through his head as he thought. "I'm sure they could help," he finally settled on with a nod. "At least until we get a hold of Kolivan and Krolia."

Death? Poison? Keith's brain tried desperately to keep up with what was being said around him but it was pointless. He didn't have the strength to be focused. 

Weak coughs shook his tired body and Kosmo whimpered, his sorrowful yellow eyes looking at Keith. 

Mila reentered the room, pushing a small cart that had all the requested items on it. 

She turned to get Keith hooked up to pain medication while Sorey pulled on a pair of gloves. 

"If you guys are good with needles, I'll set up the drain on this side first so you can get a few more minutes with him. Not protocol but neither is having a nurse try to assassinate a paladin," he said before glancing over his shoulder. "Call Cadet Holt and Coran to the pathology lab to see if they can figure out an antidote or something so Keith doesn't have to ride this out." 

Mila nodded and headed back out. 

Keith's brow furrowed. "Pi'ge..." was all he could get out, worried that the young girl would have a panic attack at the news of his condition.

"I'm not leaving," Lance said quietly. He turned to Keith. "Pidge'll be fine, cariño." He knew they would. Scared, maybe, but they'd get the job done.

Shiro nodded. "Pidge will be okay. They're strong." They had dealt with Matt's disappearance and everything else that had happened in Voltron, they would be able to handle this. He leaned down to hold Keith's hand, glad he was able to do so, so fucking thankful that Keith had pulled through so far despite the odds. He looked to Sorey again. "We're both staying," he informed him.

Keith settled with their reassurance although he wanted to tell one of them to go with Mila so Pidge and Coran wouldn't get the news without one of them supporting them but the words wouldn't come. Fear bubbled within him. He felt horrible, his chest ached, and he was scared. He didn't want to close his eyes, fall into the abyss that was calling him, afraid that he wouldn't wake up again. He chirped softly, his subconscious desperately calling for comfort from his mates.

Sorey couldn't help but wince at the noise, not exactly wanting to cause Keith any more pain than he was already in. He pulled out the needle and placed it back onto the metal pan on the cart as he needed to wait a few moments for the numbing agent to kick in. 

He couldn't believe this happened; that Keith was tortured and then poisoned. He couldn't even try to understand how Shiro and Lance were feeling, watching their loved one deteriorate in front of their eyes and not be able to do anything. Even now, Keith was struggling to breathe, pain evident in his eyes and face, his face flushed with fever and just utterly looked horrible.

Hearing the noise, Lance leaned down to press another kiss to Keith's forehead. "You're gonna be fine," he reassured softly as he gently brushed his fingers through Keith's damp hair. "We’re not going to let anything else happen to you. Promise." His voice broke on the last word. If they had just noticed the bag earlier, they could have stopped this. Keith wouldn't have- another tear fell. This was their fault. He had failed. Never again.

Shiro rubbed circles onto Lance's back with the hand not holding Keith's, trying to comfort him as well. He was obviously having a hard time and it hurt Shiro to see him so hurt too. He cared a great deal for both of them, but was surprised at the ferocity of his desire to protect and care for Lance. He had fully expected his crush to fade, and been surprised when it hadn't. The three of them together just felt right. If only Lance weren't opposed to the idea it would have been perfect, but he and Keith had been teaming up to fluster him so he wasn't sure what to think.

Shiro squeezed Keith's hand gently and nodded his agreement with Lance's words. "Promise," he agreed, voice stronger. "We're not going to leave your side until you're better."

Keith let out a shaky breath when he felt Lance's fingers comb through his hair, the small comfort and Shiro's hand anchoring him. 

Sorey started to unwrap the kit fully and took out a long, hollow needle that was connected to a thin hose. 

"This might feel weird, but I need you to sit still," Sorey said, palpitating the area before he started pushing the needle into Keith's body. 

Keith whimpered, his eyes clenching as he felt the needle slide into his body. 

Sorey gritted his teeth as blood filled the tube right as he punctured the pleural space. "This should help with the whole breathing thing." Sorey reassured as he attached the bag to the tube.

Keith coughed, his brow furrowed.

Mila returned into the room, trying to be quiet. "They're working on it, but they don't know how long it's gonna take," she said softly before walking over to the cart. She picked up the cold compress off of the tray. She headed to the head of the bed and gently laid it on Keith's forehead, a shiver running through the lithe body once it made contact.

"Thank you," Lance muttered looking up at Mila. Shiros hand on his back felt nice. Maybe when this was all over he'd just bite the bullet and tell him. Maybe.

Keith turned his head, hoping the cold thing that was settled on it would come off. He coughed weakly as blood continued to drain, his breathing slowly improving. 

Kosmo gently nosed at Lance's elbow, inching closer. 

Sorey leaned back and took off his gloves. He looked at the bag, already a quarter full. His eyes met Mila's, the nurse nervously biting at her thumb nail. "Mila and I are going to step outside," he said, leading the nurse outside.

"The amount of blood, Sorey," Mila said once the door eased closed. "And his pressure is barely in the green zone."

Sorey nodded. "We're doing all we can right now. His O2 stat will increase and hopefully his fever will come down as the fentanyl works through his body."

"Can his body handle that though?" Mila pressed.

Sorey frowned. "Do we have a choice?"

Back inside the room, Keith looked up at Lance and Shiro with tired eyes, concern bubbling up when he saw tear tracks on both of their cheeks. "O'ay?" he rasped, coughing.

Shiro glanced back at Sorey and Mila as they walked out, focusing his attention back on Keith. "We're okay," he said softly in response, heart clenching a little. Even when he was so hurt.

"Yeah," Lance said shakily, giving Keith a small watery smile. He let his left hand rest gently on Kosmos head, scratching it slightly, his right still in Keith's hair.

Kosmo looked up at Lance before looking back at Keith, whining quietly. 

Keith's eyes shifted down to Kosmo, a frown appearing on his face before he looked up at Lance, his frown deepening. He coughed a few times, a few pinpoint dots of blood splattering against the fogged mask. Once settled he looked at Lance. "'Uld sit," he muttered, his eyes fluttering slightly before they sluggishly opened again.

Shiro's heart broke a little more. He rubbed more circles on Lance's back for lack of knowing what else to do.

Lance turned around briefly and grabbed the seat of the chair behind him before dragging it forward and lowering himself into it slowly. He replaced his hand in Keith's hair and sniffled quietly. "Better?"

Keith hummed, his eyes sliding shut once more, the cold compress sliding off. He shivered slightly. He forced his eyes opened once more as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "D'nt fe'l 'ood," he mumbled. "ick?"

"Yeah, sweetheart. But we're working on getting you better, okay?" Lance answered, as he stood up slightly to replace the cold compress.

Keith frowned as the cold compress was placed back on his forehead. Mila and Sorey entered the room, Mila wearing a small smile. She grabbed one of the damp cloths from the tray. She eased the mask down from Keith's face and started dabbing at the dried blood, frowning when Keith moved away from the touch. She tried again only for it to happen once more, the cold compress sliding off. She sighed before holding out the cloth towards Lance and Shiro. "One of you wanna try? He apparently doesn't want me to do it," she said with a fond chuckle. 

Sorey chuckled as he lifted the bag, his joyful expression darkening when he saw the bag was half full. "Roughly a pint and half," he said. 

Mila frowned. "Should I get more type specific?"

Sorey looked up at the IV pole. "We'll see how he is after the pint and half that's on the pole."

Mila nodded, looking downward and froze. "Uh, Sorey?"

Sorey looked up, his eyes widening when Mila held up Keith's catheter bag, the contents tinged brown.

Shiro was reaching out for the cloth when Mila held up the bag - he paled noticeably. That was probably his liver. Keith couldn't take dialysis right now.

Lance looked at Shiro when he stopped reaching forward. He hadn't heard what Mila had said and couldn't see what she was holding, but it probably wasn't good judging by the look on Shiro's face. "Shiro?" he asked as he took the cloth.

Shiro took the cloth and shook his head, face going normal again. "Nothing we didn't already know," he said softly as he leaned down to get to Keith. "I know this might suck, but we've gotta get you cleaned up, okay?" he said as he started trying to gently clean the dried blood from Keith's face.

Lance let Shiro take the cloth from him and watched as he started to clean Keith up. He nodded. He wasn't sure what the expression on Shiro's face earlier was then, but he trusted him.

Mila lowered the bag once more, her worried eyes meeting with Sorey's. Sorey jerked his head, Mila following him. "Get me an ultrasound machine, I need to see if his liver or his kidneys are failing," he said. Mila nodded and she ran out. 

Keith grumbled at Shiro's touch, his brows furrowing. He wanted to turn away. Every touch just felt like fire on his overstimulated body. His eyes slowly opened, his eyes looking at Shiro. Exhaustion and pain made his eyes shimmer with unshed tears. 

Sorey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  _ What else can happen? _

Shiro looked at Keith sympathetically. "Oh, jagiya. I know." He made quick work of the rest, cleaning it off as quickly and gently as possible. He looked up to the morphine bag. "Is that working at all?" he asked softly, nodding up to it and hoping Keith knew he meant morphine.

Keith looked at Shiro, confusion bleeding into his eyes. 

Shiro's gaze softened sympathetically. "The morphine," he clarified.

Keith blinked at Shiro, the words processing slowly. Once they did, he answered with a quiet, "'t re'lly."

Shiro made a sympathetic noise at Keith's response. He felt bad cleaning him up after that if he was still in such pain, but he couldn't exactly stay with dried blood on his face.

Mila wheeled in the ultrasound machine. She looked at Sorey, wheeling it over to him. Sorey slowly lifted Keith's shirt. He grabbed a pair of scissors and started to cut away the bandages.

Lance looked between the others. "What's going on? What's that for?"

Sorey looked up at Lance's question. "He's--"

Shiro looked up as Sorey started answering Lance's question. "Checking how much fluid is in his lungs, right? And then scanning the rest for good measure while the equipment is out." He made eye contact with Sorey, a significant look passing between them before he turned to Lance and smiled. "Standard procedure after the draining."

Lance reacting poorly would only stress Keith out more, and they didn't need that stress on his body now. He needed to stay relaxed so his body could try to fight the toxin off.

Lance looked at Shiro, confused as to why he was answering for Sorey, but nodded anyway.

Sorey looked at Shiro, understanding but also a tad confused as to why he wasn't telling Lance. "Yes, that's...right," Sorey answered slowly. 

Mila looked at the two males confused, her brows pinched together as she looked between them. She was knocked out of her thoughts when Sorey asked for the gel. She handed it to him, their eyes meeting momentarily. "This might be cold," she said, lightly touching Keith's forearm. 

Sorey squeezed the thick gel onto Keith's bruised stomach, the muscles retracting instinctually and causing Keith to whimper.

Shiro put the rag down and put his hand on Keith's shoulder to try and ground him some.

Sorey spread the gel around before gingerly placing the apparatus onto Keith's stomach. He looked at the screen, frowning at what he saw. He looked at Mila and nodded. 

Keith's kidneys were failing.

It would account for the lack of clotting and even the nausea he was feeling earlier. But his body was too weak to even fathom going through a dialysis session. He looked at Shiro, sending the commander a small smile. "Mind wiping his stomach while I chat with the nurse?"

Lance watched Keith while Sorey worked, returning to softly brushing his fingers through Keith's hair. With his other hand, Lance reached for the abandoned oxygen mask and placed it back over Keith's mouth and nose. It looked like Shiro was done cleaning him up. He wished he could help more.

Shiro nodded, squeezing Keith's shoulder gently before releasing him to maneuver around Lance. He took a soft cloth and began cleaning off the gel, knowing that whatever Sorey had found didn't look good. "I'll let Lance visit with you again," he said lightly as he worked.

Keith hummed softly as he felt Lance's fingers return to his hair, his head rolling so he could look at his boyfriend with half-lidded eyes, his lips quirking upward slightly at the sight of him. 

Sorey led Mila back out of the room with a grim expression. He looked at Mila, "He's in renal failure," he said softly.

Mila closed her eyes. "He can't go through dialysis." 

"Not right now, no, but if we can start reversing-"

"They don't have a cure Sorey!" Mila snapped, tears in her eyes. "He's dying." Her voice broke on the last word.

Sorey closed his eyes. "All we can do is fight his symptoms as best we can. We have the bleeding under control. We just...need to keep him alive until they find a cure."

"Which we will," Mila vowed, "Because if that man dies, those two...they..."

Sorey nodded, understanding. Mila wiped her eyes. "I'm going to go help in the lab. Also, Lance is going to be pissed when he finds out you and Shiro hid this from him."

"He and Keith don't need to be under any more stress than they’re already in."

"Neither you or Shiro get to make that call for Lance," Mila argued back. "Keith is as much Lance's boyfriend as Shiro's. He deserves to know."

"Shiro will probably tell him later, out of earshot of Keith."

Mila chuckled mirthlessly. "Doesn't the man deserve to know how he's dying? That he’s in renal failure? That his body is going to fail one system at a time all because of a murderous nurse?"

Sorey frowned. "Mila-"

"No. I'm done. I'm going to go help Cadet Holt and Coran. You can deal with this fallout, Sorey," she said before walking away, Sorey sighing and leaning against the wall, taking a few moments to regain himself.

Lance's eyes bounced around Keith's face as he combed through the damp strands, taking in how broken he looked, offering a small smile in return. Still beautiful, though, he thought as he licked and bit his slightly trembling lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried this much. And it didn't seem like it was about to stop. He scrunched his eyes shut briefly and swallowed hard, trying to focus on helping Keith. An idea suddenly popped into his head. It had always calmed Keith in the past, it could work now. He just...wasn't sure if he could do it. He looked at his weary boyfriend again and knew that of course he had to at least try. Lance began to hum softly, a tune he remembered from when he was little and his mom used to rock him to sleep when he had nightmares.

Shiro slowly, carefully wiped at the gel when Lance started humming. He froze, eyes shutting as he tried to rein in his emotions.  _ Keith, please. You have to hold on until they come up with a cure. I don't want to have to explain to Lance… _

He opened his eyes and kept cleaning the gel away, letting Lance calm Keith.

Keith blinked when he heard the first few notes before a soft smile crossed his lips. He wanted to desperately reach out, wipe the tears from Lance's cheeks but his arms were like lead. 

Keith didn't know what he did in a past life to get both Lance and Shiro, but he would go through all of this shit he did in his childhood tenfold just to call those two his.

A tear sprung up to Keith's eye. He didn't want to leave them. He didn't want to die. He wanted to grow old with these two men. Adopt a couple of kids. Share laughter. Tears. Hardships and victories. 

A few tears fell from his eyes as he closed them. The last 6 months had been the best of his life. Lance had shown him so much warmth, the man practically oozing happiness and sunshine from every possible pore. He always had a hug available, a comforting shoulder, and a way to make him smile. 

Shiro was the quiet supporter. Standing beside him knowing that if he fell, it wouldn't be far until Shiro's arms caught him. He was protection; had been since he was a teen, and a place of solace. 

He just found happiness. 

He didn't want to leave it. 

But he was so tired. 

And in pain. 

Behind his eyelids, he saw a house. Him cooking dinner with Lance's arms around his waist. The Cuban kissing his neck and cheek as he tried to sneak a biscuit while Shiro walked into the house with a broad smile on his face. 

He wanted that future. He wanted that happiness. That life. 

But he didn't know if he was even going to make it to the next hour.

Lance wiped away the tears on Keith's cheeks, a few of his own falling. He swallowed passed the lump in his throat and gave Keith a shaky smile before starting to sing, his voice cracking a few times through the notes.

_ The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping _

_ I dreamed I held you in my arms _

_ But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken _

_ And I hung my head and I cried _

Lance reached over on the bed with his left hand and gently took Keith's in his own, bringing it to his chest. He looked so tired.

_ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine _

_ You make me happy when skies are grey _

_ You'll never know, dear, how much I love you _

_ Please don't take my sunshine away _

Lance sucked in a stuttering breath once he was finished and it left in a shudder as he tired to keep from breaking down completely. Bringing Keith's hand to his mouth, he placed a kiss against his fingers. 

He looked imploringly at Keith through his tear stained eyes. He looked so tired. "Please," he begged quietly, before leaning forward and resting his head on the bed right next to Keith's arm. Lance squeezed his eyes shut, gripping Keith's hand as tightly as he dared, and let go, the sheets directly beneath his eyes quickly becoming soaked from his tears.

Tears started falling from Shiro's eyes as Lance started to sing, Keith smiling gently. This felt like... no, this wasn't the end. This couldn't be the end. As long as Keith was breathing, there was hope. He'd already come back once.

Even if it seemed so bleak.

He finished cleaning the gel just in time for Lance to lay his head down and start crying. Shiro moved back to Lance's side, putting a hand on his back again and holding their intertwined hands with his own. He shut his eyes to hold off the emotions, but tears still leaked out. How was this so hard? How had these two wormed their way into his heart so deeply? Why did Keith have to leave so soon? Their future was right there, so easily visible, but just barely out of reach. He wanted to grasp it with them. He wanted…

He opened his eyes and looked at Keith. So tired but so beautiful. He looked like he was in pain though. Shiro wished he could take it away. Trade places. Anything.

It took so much energy, his hand quivering as he lifted it. He reached and gently placed it on the back of Lance's head. Keith looked at Lance weeping into the bed with soft eyes. There were so many words he wanted to say, reassurances that he wasn't going anywhere but he also knew that Lance wouldn't want false promises. He didn't know the outcome of this. He didn't know that if his eyes slid shut once more if they would open again. 

Each breath was harder to take in. His body felt like it was betraying him. Even moving his hand was a battle. Tears fell from Keith's eyes even though he didn't want them to. He wanted to stay with them. He wanted to see Lance grow into the man Keith knew he could be. He wanted to see both of them become fathers. 

Keith knew they would be wonderful fathers. Understanding. Reassuring. And would probably spoil the hell out of their children. 

And he wanted to be standing beside them when that happened. 

But if he wasn't, he wanted them to find happiness. To find someone else, whether that be with each other or with separate people. Both deserved to live with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts. He wanted them to continue living.

Keith's fingertips curled slightly in Lance's hair. It was soft, the volume of a quiet exhale as he whispered, "Love you."

Lance detangled his fingers from Keith's hair to gently slide Keith's hand from his head as he looked up, opening blurry eyes to see the purple staring back at him. "I love you too. More than anything."

Keith's lips quirked upward, his eyes fond as they looked at Lance. "'n't cry," he said softly before his eyes drifted towards Shiro, his heart clenching when he saw tears running down those cheeks as well. "Ka'si?"

Shiro sniffled and brought his hand up from Lance's back to wipe his tears away. "Sorry. The song just..." he trailed off before maneuvering so he could press a kiss to Keith's forehead. "We both love you. So, so much, jagiya."

Keith let his eyes close at Shiro's soft touch. He wanted to sleep so badly. He coughed, a whimper coming out as a thrum of pain went through his worn body. 

Sorey reentered the room, a sorrowful expression appearing on his face when he saw the emotional scene happening in front of him. Slowly, he walked up to them and gently placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. "I need to drain this side so he can breathe a bit better," he said quietly. "You can sit on his other side."

Keith let out a soft chirp. He was done. He didn't want any more tests. He didn't want anymore. No more needles. No more pain.

Lance looked up at Sorey and nodded slowly. He gave Keith's hands a gentle squeeze before letting go and standing slowly, and moving to the other side of the bed. He took one of Keith's hands in his own again.

Shiro moved up the bed so he wasn't in Sorey's way, brushing his fingers along Keith's hairline and through the strands. The chirp was so quiet, so unhappy. He hated hearing him sound that way. "Just one more and then we'll stop poking at you for a while, okay? This will help you breathe better," he encouraged. Hopefully it would buy enough time for Pidge and Coran to come up with something, anything.

Sorey laid a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Sorry buddy, but Shiro's right. One more time and we should be done for a bit," he said as he pulled on gloves and started setting up the kit.

Keith let out a shaky breath, turning his head so he was facing Lance. He kept his eyes closed. Once again the damp cloth slid off, it no longer chilled. Faint shivers made his muscles shake. Without him realizing it, a thin river of blood started to fall from his nose. "'Ance?"

Lance reached for the cloth, noticing it wasn't cold any longer and wondering if he should go rinse it out when he heard Keith call his name. His eyes turned to his boyfriend, the 'yeah, sweetheart' on his lips when he saw the blood. He quickly looked to Sorey and called his name, directing his attention to Keith's nose. "What's going on?"

Shiro looked startled at the blood. That... shouldn't be happening... he looked to Sorey for an answer.

Sorey peered over, frowning when he saw the blood. He grabbed some tissues and held them out for Lance to take. "I'm going to grab some more clotting meds," he explained. "The fentanyl is destroying his platelets before we can put them back in. He probably had a bloody nose earlier from vomiting and we never noticed because of all the other stuff happening," he said, trying to reassure Lance and Shiro. "Be back in a few seconds." 

Keith opened his eyes slightly, confusion in his eyes. "Cold," he muttered.

Lance took the tissues from Sorey before gingerly lifting the mask over Keith's mouth and nose to wipe away the blood. "I know, sweetheart. We're trying to fix that, just hold on." He replaced the mask when he was done and gave Keith a small smile.

Shiro nodded in agreement, putting a soft smile on his face to try and calm Keith.

A soft smile appeared on Keith's lips as he felt Lance dab his face. "'Ike th't," he mumbled, his eyes falling shut once more. 

Sorey re-entered the room. He pulled a syringe out of his pocket. He walked up to Keith's IV and slowly pushed the medicine into the line. "That should help a bit," he said before heading back to the other side of the bed and start disinfecting the area.

Lance's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Like what, cariño."

"Sw't'hart," Keith mumbled before coughing weakly. 

Sorey swallowed down the tears that wanted to fall. This was the opposite of the Keith he knew. Keith was a ball of fire, a quiet energy and strength that was quick to strike and protect. To see him weak and barely hanging on to life made Sorey's heart ache. He looked at Lance and Shiro, both were obviously and understandably distraught. Sorey let out a deep breath and started the process, injecting the numbing agent into Keith's chest, the man hissing as he did.

"Ah." Lance smiled slightly in understanding. "You like when I call you sweetheart." He closed his eyes briefly as Keith hissed from pain. "I'll make sure to call you that more often then."

Shiro shushed quietly, continuing to pet Keith's hair. He kept the smile on his face as best he could. 

"Spoil'ng me," Keith said softly before shivering, "K'smo?"

The dog softly barked, walking up to the bed, close to Keith's head. He gently touched Keith's hair with his nose before resting his chin against the bed. Keith relaxed slightly. "'T'red." 

"I'm going to start draining now," Sorey said quietly, pushing the larger needle into Keith's pleural space, the tubing filling with blood and starting to drain into the attached bag, trying not to focus on the lack of reaction from Keith.

"We promised we would," Lance said, brushing some hair away from Keith's face.

Shiro nodded and hummed his agreement. "As much as you'll let us," he promised.

Keith's brows furrowed slightly, hissing as pain went through his chest, his stomach muscles clenching. Sorey frowned, his hands coming to rest on the tense muscles. "Keith? What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes looking at Keith's face. 

Keith relaxed seconds later, tired purple eyes opening. "Ch'st."

Shiro's brow furrowed in concern. Was it the needle or something else? Gods, what else could there be. It was already so bad. He didn't want Keith to suffer like he was. He didn't deserve any of it.

Lance's heart dropped. What now?

Sorey's brow furrowed. He knew chest pains could be because of the renal failure but what if it was a new symptom of something completely different. He knew vaguely how this medicine progressed with a full blood Galran. 

It was given to a Blade member but it was quickly identified and was easily resolved by simply letting the Galran's body fight off the toxin. But Keith was half-Galran and he was given two bags full of fentanyl and there was no way his weakened body could destroy the toxin by itself. 

Sorey offered a weak reassuring smile. He didn't want to raise any alarms especially since Shiro obviously didn't want Lance to know about the renal failure. 

Sorey withdrew the needle from Keith's chest, the bag half full of blood. He placed the items on the tray. "Commander, can I speak to you for a moment?" he asked, gesturing towards the door.

Lance looked between them, confused. "Is something wrong?" Why was Sorey only asking to speak to Shiro?

Shiro tried to clear the concern from his face as he nodded, bending down to press another kiss to Keith's forehead. He wasn't sure what to tell Lance to keep him calm. "Probably just logistics. I'll be right back, jagiya," he murmured and caught Lance's eye, half meaning the reassurance for him as well. He followed Sorey out the door and waited until it swung shut, crossing his arms. "His kidneys are shutting down. What can we do?"

Lance blinked, not quite buying it, but...they wouldn't hide anything from him...right? He trusted Shiro and Sorey had never given him any reason to believe he was untrustworthy. Plus, Pidge trusted Mikleo and Mikleo thought the world of Sorey and Lance trusted Pidge so that was enough for him. Maybe it really was just logistics and they didn't want to leave Keith alone. In which case, he was happy to stay. 

Lance turned back to Keith and went back to combing his fingers gently through Keith's hair. "Can't wait until we're out of here," he started softly, a fond look on his face, "and I can just cuddle you all day, and braid your hair, and kiss you when you least expect it so you get that cute surprised look on your face."

Keith opened his eyes as Shiro pressed a kiss to his forehead, confusion bleeding into his expression as Shiro left. "Ta'shi?" he whispered. His attention was brought back to Lance, a small smile coming to life as Lance spoke. "Look like a'mess ri'ht now," he mumbled. "A'so not c'te." 

Sorey sighed at Shiro's question. "Honestly, commander, nothing right now. Keith couldn't handle dialysis and beyond dealing with the symptoms, we're in a waiting game. My biggest worry right now is," Sorey paused to take a deep breath, "Blood loss and lack of sustenance. We might have to put him on a feeding tube."

Shiro blanched a bit at the news, hands tightening on his arms. "Can't you do another nutrition bag?" He didn't think he could bear to see Keith like that, and he knew Lance and Keith wouldn't be able to take it. "Keith and I are compatible blood types, if you need..."

"I'm not sure if the nutrition bag is going to be enough," Sorey admitted. "He's getting weaker. He needs every edge he can get in this battle. I don't think he can come back if his heart stops again, Commander," he added. "We have plenty of his type specific on hand, I'm just worried that his blood is even mixed. We're giving him human blood but he's not completely human. While everyone in the medical wing knew that Keith was mixed, I don't think we ever sat down and fully understood how deep that ran. Even though he's the same blood type as you, is his blood somehow different in other ways from yours because of his Galran heritage?" Sorey ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "We're prepared for human injuries, Galran injuries, but we forgot about him."

Shiro swallowed hard and clenched his jaw as Sorey talked and he thought. "Can we contact the Blades, have them weigh in? They'd obviously know more about Galran genetics." Doing a consult might not be a bad idea. The idea of Keith being forgotten made Shiro sick now that the implications of it were catching up with them.

Sorey nodded. "I'm sure Cadet Holt or Coran has thought of that but they're in the same situation. As far as either team is aware, Keith is the only human-dominant Galran hybrid. From our research, Galran genetics are usually the dominant side while, for some reason, Keith's went the other way. Hopefully, with their input, a cure can be found sooner rather than later." Sorey sighed. "Now, Laogai...did she say anything or do anything that would give her a motive? I'm just...one of my nurses poisoned a patient."

Lance made a small disbelieving noise and rolled his eyes. "Of course you're cute. One day you'll believe it," he said, running a thumb over Keith's eyebrow.

Keith raised the eyebrow that Lance touched. "How h'rd did you get h't?" he mumbled, a small smirk on his face.

Shiro nodded, understanding. As a superior it was always difficult to deal with the fact that your subordinates did stupid things sometimes and you had to figure out why and mitigate it. He was biased because that subordinate had poisoned his boyfriend, but he got it. He thought for a moment. "She was... startled when she found out Keith was part Galran," he thought out loud. "She dropped the instruments, then asked me about it in the hallway. I thought she was just making conversation, but then she directly attacked him with an agent lethal to Galrans." He paused. "Unless she had a previous grudge, but she was treating him fine before and her bedside manner deteriorated afterward as well."

" Haha," Lance deadpanned. Pretty hard actually, Lance thought, remembering the right hook to his jaw and the subsequent smashing of his head into the ground. His cheek throbbed at the memory and he unconsciously brought a hand to touch his bruised cheek.

Sorey sighed. "I would hope it wasn't that. I don't want to think members of my medical team are racist against Galrans. But...Keith hardly interacts with us in the medical bay. Either you or Lance have to haul him here. I can't see any reason for her to do this though." Sorey ran a hand over his face. "And because of her stupid views, Keith is suffering. She withheld pain medication from him for so long." He looked up at Shiro, remorse weighing heavy within him. "I'm sorry commander, if I’d paid better attention, perhaps Keith wouldn't be in the boat he's in."

Keith let out a soft chirp, his hand twitching, wanting feverishly to touch Lance's bruised cheek. "S'rry," he whispered. "You got h'rt."

Shiro frowned. On one hand, he was absolutely right. Someone should have been double checking the medication. Someone should have addressed their concerns earlier. This turned from a relatively simple case into Keith nearly dying, they still weren't sure he was going to pull through, and that was not okay in the slightest. 

However…

"It wasn't just you," Shiro sighed as he uncrossed his arms. "It was everyone in the room besides Keith, myself included. We should have checked once we had suspicions something wasn't right. I trust that medication will be verified going forward," he said, the question in his voice more of a statement. If Keith makes it, the traitorous part of his brain whispered. He pushed it away vehemently. "And you will use every resource at your disposal to keep him stable until an antidote is found."

Lance blinked, suddenly brought back to the present. "No, sweetheart. It's not your fault. Sometimes things just happen and we have to accept that. Yeah, I got a little beat up, but I'm fine. Promise." Lance removed his hand from his face and placed it back on the bed. "This cast is gonna suck though," he mused, bringing it up in front of himself to look at it. "Gonna be out of the game for a while. Allura's gonna have to pilot Blue for me. But that's okay, just means I get to spend more time at home with you. And when this thing comes off? I'm gonna need you to help me get back to the top of my game, okay?" Lance gently bumped his fist against Keith's shoulder, a smallish smile on his lips.

Sorey nodded. "Of course. I or Mila will be delivering all of his meds forward until he's released," he reassured. "And we are, Commander. I'm using everything I know to keep him alive and I think he has two of the best reasons to stay alive with you and Lance in there." He gave the commander a small smile. "He's fighting, Commander. He wants to live and we're doing everything we can to keep it that way."

Shiro nodded. He gave himself a moment to let his weariness, concern, and fear show before he bottled it back up, stored it carefully on a shelf in his mind to be processed later. "Well, if he's fighting, we're going to have to be damn good backup," Shiro finally spoke, voice determined.

Keith's lips twitched upward. "Th'nk I'm out for a'ile," Keith whispered. "Home..." he trailed off, a small smile appearing when he thought of Shiro's room, the suite quickly turning into their makeshift apartment as more and more time was spent there. He thought of the cuddles and the meals that they shared. He desperately wanted to go back there. Cuddle between Shiro and Lance. Warmth. Care. Keith looked up at Lance. "'Ance, w'at happ'ned?"

Sorey smiled. "Sounds like you and Lance." He sobered shortly after though. "There's another worry of mine, Commander." He sighed. "Draining the blood out of the lungs is temporary. They will refill again. His breathing will get worse. You and Lance...you both need to get comfortable with the idea of Keith being on a ventilator. If need be, who is Keith's power of attorney so if he's unable to make medical decisions, someone can make them for him?"

"I think you may be right," Lance huffed a laugh, and smiled softly at Keith. Home sounded nice. It wasn't very long into the relationship that they decided the twin beds in Keith and Lance's rooms just weren't big enough and they had all moved to Shiro's bed, which was bigger as he was a CO. Keith had practically moved in at some point in the last couple of months and naturally Lance followed. He went wherever Keith did, if he let him. Shiro didn't seem to mind either that Lance spent most of his down time there. Lance's heart felt warm at the thought. Maybe when this was all over, Lance would finally say something and Shiro's room could actually turn into their place. All three of them. That sounded nice.

Lance met Keith's gaze when he spoke. "What do you mean? You don't remember?" Lance wasn't sure he had the heart to tell Keith what had happened to him if he didn't.

Shiro felt like he was going to be sick. The idea of fighting was great. The reality of it was another thing entirely. "I'm his POA," he said, voice less confident, sadder. "Assuming it's still in force from when I was missing."

"Dying," Keith mumbled. "Poi'ned?"

"You're not dying," Lance said firmly. That was non-negotiable. He looked away. "But...yeah. That nurse we didn't like. Laogai? Or whatever. They've got her in custody." Anger boiled in his stomach and his eyes hardened. "She can't hurt you anymore," he added quietly. Lance would make sure of it.

Sorey frowned. "Unless Keith changed it, I doubt anyone messed with it and was probably reinstated once you came back. Now, do you know...if it comes to it, does Keith want to be on life support?" Sorey asked, dreading asking this question. He didn't want to picture the young man hooked to a myriad of machines to keep him alive. Just putting him on a ventilator was horrible to think of but to put him on one when he never wanted it was a road he never wanted to go down.

Keith's brow furrowed. "What did I do?" he asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Lance said matter-of-factly. "She's just a bitch."

Shiro's hands balled into fists. He didn't want to be having this conversation. He wanted to say yes, to keep him around until they came up with something, anything. But…

"No," he said finally, "I don't think he would." Keith was stubborn, ornery at times. He wanted to do things under his own power. Life support wouldn't be that. And as much as Shiro hated the idea of losing him, overriding Keith's autonomy and will wasn't something he could bring himself to do.

Keith looked up at Lance. "'Ance?"

Sorey smiled sadly at him. He reached out and gently laid a hand on Shiro's arm. "You can ask him, while you still can. His feelings might have changed. He has you and Lance now. He probably wants to stick around for you two."

"Hmm?" Lance turned back to Keith, tamping down on the anger building inside of him again. "What is it, sweetheart?"

Shiro nodded, eyes wet. He cleared his throat. "I, uh. I'll do that," he said quietly. He turned to head back into the room.

Keith looked up at Lance, knowing his next words weren' going to be easy to say. "'Ance, if I die-" He paused, taking a breath. "'n my ro'm, 'n my clo'st, 'here a lett'r. For 'ou and Sh'ro." Keith swallowed, "M've on. Be H'ppy." A tear fell from his eye. "Live."

Lance's eyes widened and he could have sworn he felt his heart stop, tears welling in his eyes again. "The fuck, Keith. Why would you even say that to me," he choked out. "You're not dying, okay? You're gonna stay right here with me. We're gonna grow old and grey together. We're gonna die together, like that stupid old couple from that Notebook movie, holding hands and peacefully in our sleep, cuz we're like 100." Lance was crying again now. He wasn't sure where all the water was coming from, he was sure he should have run out by now. 

"And what the fuck do you mean, 'move on. be happy'? How can you-? Why would you-? I..." Lance let his head fall into his hands, ignoring the way his cast was pressing into his bruise. "I can't," he sobbed. "Don't-don't ask me to do that. You can't. That's not fair. You...god, Keith, I love you so much. So much. If you...if you...died," Lance swallowed hard around the word, forcing it out, "I..."  _ wouldn't be far behind _ , he finished in his head, knowing he couldn't say it out loud.

Lance lifted his head to look at Keith, looking him in the eye. "You are going to fight. You are going to fight this. You are going to win. And we are all going to go home. This is your only option," he stated firmly, tears still running streaks down his face. "Do you understand? You promise me right now that you're not giving up. Promise me, Keith."

"I'm not," Keith answered, his eyes remorseful as he looked up at Lance. "But-" Keith coughed a few times. "But 'm not im'ortal," he whispered. With a shaky hand, he reached out and lightly touched the side of Lance's face, his fingertips caressing the bruised skin. "I love you," he said. "The l'st 6 months h've been the b'st of my life. I want...all of 'hat. You. Me. Sh'ro. Kids."

"I know you're not. I've been telling you that for as long as I've known you." Lance leaned into Keith's touch and took a shuddering breath. "Me too. I want that too. So you gotta promise, sweetheart. I need to hear you say it. Promise me you'll grow old with us and we'll adopt some kids and totally screw them up because it's us. Promise me that this isn't going to beat you."

Keith smiled sadly at Lance. He wanted to promise him so badly. Gather him in his arms, nestle beneath his chin. 

But Keith was never one to make false promises. 

"'M... trying," he whispered.

Lance's face scrunched up as another wave of tears fell. He knew Keith didn't want to make him a promise he wasn't sure he could keep. Lance knew it wasn't fair to ask it of him, but he'd had to try. 

Lance nodded. "Okay." He reached forward to brush his fingers through Keith's hair again. "Okay."

Shiro stepped inside, shutting the door behind himself. They would need the privacy to get through this conversation, probably. He looked at the two of them, Lance's fingers in Keith's hair, Keith's hand on Lance's face. It'd be perfect if they weren't in the hospital while one of them was dying.

Shiro swallowed his emotions down and made his way toward the bed, hands reaching for Keith's free one, needing some kind of support. He realized Keith couldn't give much right now and he was being greedy for asking, but he needed something. Just something to get through. Any small mercy. "Uh, Sorey had some questions for me, and I guess I have news too," he started. Lance was going to be furious that he'd lied. He couldn't lie to either of them anymore.

Lance turned to look at Shiro, his heart suddenly pounding a mile a minute. He didn't think it was good news. He felt sick.

Keith felt Shiro's hand take his. He squeezed it, sure that his grasp wasn't the strongest right now. He looked up at Shiro with exhausted eyes.

Shiro's heart clenched. Keith's grip was so weak in his own compared to normal. "I... your kidneys are shutting down," he said bluntly, not sure how to sugar coat it. He tried to say it kindly, but it likely came out more sad and devastated. "They're suggesting a feeding tube. Your lungs are going to keep filling and they've brought up putting you on a ventilator." Shiro squeezed his hand back. "Pidge and Coran are working on an antidote, but we don't have a timeline for it. They've asked me if you want to go on life support-" Shiro's voice finally cracked and tears started falling freely. "And I want to say yes but I don't know what you'd want."

Each word that Shiro spoke was like a knife through his heart. He didn't remember when he'd stopped breathing, but his body eventually forced him to and he gasped in a deep breath as quietly as he could. It was worse. So much worse. A feeding tube? A ventilator? Life support? Lance turned away and squeezed his eyes shut. His stomach churned when he thought about Keith's answer. He was pretty sure he knew what it would be. And it was going to kill Lance if he said it.

Keith looked up at Shiro. "W'at are my cha'ces?"

Lance flinched, pulling both of his hands into his lap.

Shiro saw Lance flinch back. He wanted to comfort him, but he needed to talk to Keith. He looked back to the man laying in the bed. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "I'm not sure they know, either. Everything's riding on the lab, with Pidge and Coran helping them." He paused. "I guess it boils down to if you want to try to beat the clock."

Lance didn't want to hear this. Distantly in the back of mind something was trying to tell him that he should be angry at Shiro. Angry at Sorey for keeping him in the dark until they bombarded him with all of this at once, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Keith was the only thing that mattered. Keith, who wouldn't promise him. Keith, who was tired. Keith, who was his everything.

He swallowed thickly.

Keith frowned, thinking. The idea of being on a machine wasn't something he wanted to happen to him but he also knew this wasn't a normal circumstance. He looked at Lance, knowing his answer would crush him. His eyes slowly drifted back to look at Shiro. "Prom’se me, if Sorey says an’thing about b’ain dam’ge or I can't be sa’ed... unp’ug it," he mumbled. "D’n't h’ld on to a gh’st, let me go."

Lance's head dropped slowly and he curled in on himself, body shaking with silent sobs.

Shiro's hand tightened on Keith's. It was about what he expected, but it didn't make it any easier. Didn't make it feel like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He nodded. "I promise," he assured him. "Only as a tool to keep you here until we get the antidote, not...prolonging your life for our benefit." He looked like he might be sick at the last sentence. He lifted Keith's hand to press a kiss to his knuckles. "I love you. So much."

Keith sent Shiro a small smile. "Th'nk you," he said. "L've you too." He turned his head, a frown appearing when he saw Lance. "'Ance?"

Lance's stomach lurched at the exchange, tasting bile at the back of his throat. Having his emotions on high for so long and trying to keep everything new in was making him sick. Keith barely started to say his name when he felt it again. He slapped a hand to his mouth and jumped off the bed, running the bathroom. He barely managed to shut the door behind him before he collapsed on the floor and emptied what little he had in him into the toilet, ignoring the sharp pain in his side as his muscles contracted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten, but his stomach seemed to be hell bent on getting rid of anything that remained as he heaved again through choked off sobs. 

When he seemed to be finished he leaned back, letting his head hit the wall just behind him. His breath came in shallow pants and his heart pounded in his chest as the tears continued to fall. Why was this happening? What did they do to deserve this? What did Keith do? Why wouldn't it stop. 

Lance closed his eyes and swallowed, ignoring the acrid taste in his mouth in favor of trying to calm down. He ran his right hand over his face, slowing as he felt the raised scabs on his right cheek. They felt rough and jagged and long. He couldn't imagine they looked much better. He stood shakily, looking up into the mirror. His red puffy eyes stared back at him, tears still falling steadily, before they began to explore the rest of his face. 

Lance had always been tan, being of Cuban descent, but right now he could have passed for Pidge’s brother he was so pale, and the whiteness of his face only made the dark purple bruise on his left lower jaw and the four angry raised lines on his right cheek stand out more prominently. He sighed when he finally caught his breath. He sure was a sight, no wonder Keith kept apologizing. It looked a lot worse than it was. 

After rinsing out his mouth, Lance slid back down to the ground and wrapped his arms around his legs. His forehead fell forward to rest against his knees and he took a shuddering breath. He didn't know how he was going to go back out there. Keith sounded like he was ready to give up, and Shiro sounded like he was going to let him. Anger welled up in him as more tears fell. Why wouldn't he fight harder? Why were they even talking about the possibility that Keith wouldn’t be okay? How could they just sit there and discuss it, like it was just deciding what to have for dinner? Why couldn't he do anything.

A distressed chirp left Keith as Lance ran to the bathroom. He knew this was hard for Lance, the man curling into himself as they spoke about this but…

Even the strongest fighters fall eventually. 

Keith's heart ached as he stared at the bathroom door. Keith looked up at Shiro. "Go," he whispered, "see if he o'ay."

Shiro watched Lance run, a little startled but not surprised. He had known Lance's reaction was going to be difficult, but hadn't expected this exactly.

Shiro looked back down to Keith and pressed another kiss to his knuckles. "Be right back," he murmured as he made himself release Keith's hand and go to the bathroom door, knocking gently on it with his knuckles. "Lance? Can I come in?"

Lance barely registered the knock on the door, too lost in his downward spiral. He pushed his forehead harder into his knees, ignoring the way the stretch tugged painfully at the stitches in his side.  _ Good _ , he thought,  _ hurt me more. Make it hurt so much I can't think about anything else. Make me forget why it feels like I'm dying. _

Shiro frowned and let himself inside, pushed forward by his and Keith's concern. He found Lance with his face buried in his knees, arms wrapped tight around his legs somehow despite the cast. He knelt down next to him, hand coming to rest on his shoulder and rub small circles. "Hey. I know it might be hard, but I need you to come out now. You're going to stress your injuries."

Lance shook his head slowly, tightening his arms. "I can't do it, Shiro." The new position was pulling on his shoulder wound.

Shiro sighed internally. He had hoped this would be easier, but of course it wouldn't be. This was bigger than a little misunderstanding, bigger than all of them. "Can't do what," he asked softly, trying to figure out if he meant unball or live without Keith. Or both.

Lance took in a breath. "I can't just...how can you guys just talk about that, like it's...like it's...possible." Lance let out a shuddering breath. "I can't listen to you guys talk about it, I can't listen to him tell us to," he swallowed around the lump in his throat, "'pull the plug'." He finally turned to look at Shiro, blinking the tears away, and pressing his bruise into his knee. "I can't listen to you promise him those things." Lance narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why won't you tell him to fight? Why won't he say that he will?" Lance looked back down at the ground, hiding his face, as a sob ripped out of him. "Why are you both talking like you've given up."

Shiro listened, eyes wide as he took in everything Lance was saying. He had a point, several in fact. They should be fighting. They shouldn't be courting the notion of losing. But there were also times when you had to be realistic.

"I need to know what he would want in case the worst case scenario comes to pass," he murmured, still rubbing circles on Lance's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I'm not giving up on him, I'm being realistic and trying to honor his wishes. But there also comes a time when you just can't fight anymore." Shiro had been there, until he had been rescued by the Blades. They had given him hope. The antidote would do the same for Keith, hopefully. But if it didn't, if his body deteriorated too quickly... "We need to prepare ourselves for if that happens. He's mortal, as much as we wish he were more than that."

Lance shook his head. "No. I refuse to think that way. Pidge and Coran will find the cure, Keith will get better, and we'll all go home. I...have to believe that. I can't..." Lance squeezed his eyes shut, his next sentence coming out no louder than a whisper. "It's the only option."

Shiro's heart clenched in his chest and he sat next to Lance, arm wrapping around his shoulders as he pulled him toward his chest. "I want to believe that too. I don't want to be planning for..." he trailed off, at a loss for the words. "But just in case, I needed to know. Okay? We're going to do everything we can to keep him here with us."

Lance leaned into Shiro, but kept his face hidden. "I can't live without him, Shiro," Lance sobbed quietly, his words barely intelligible.

Shiro rested his chin on Lance's head. "I know. I know." He'd had Keith around since he was 19, he had no idea what to do without him.

Lance let Shiro hold him for a moment longer until he got the tears to stop. He sniffled a couple times and lifted his head slowly, letting Shiro have time to move. "We should go back," he said softly, wiping at his eyes.

Shiro shifted out of the way, letting Lance sit up at his own pace. He pushed the hair away from his face gently from where it had gotten mussed. Another place, another time, another scenario and he might make a move. But not now. "Yeah. We should," he said quietly and stood, offering a hand to help Lance up.

Lance took Shiro's hand and pulled himself up, concealing a wince as it pulled harder at his shoulder. He flushed the toilet before turning slightly to look in the mirror, lifting the right side of his shirt a bit to check his stitches. He was glad to not see any blood, Mila would have laid into him if he'd ripped them.

Shiro watched as Lance checked himself over, happy to note that despite the rather concerning situation he'd found him in, it didn't seem to have any lasting effects. He headed toward the door, hand on the knob to open it when Lance was ready.

Lance let his shirt drop and turned back to Shiro, giving him a shallow nod.

Shiro nodded back and opened the door, waiting for Lance to step through before following behind him.

Lance walked out in front of Shiro, and stopped by the side of Keith's bed, staring at the section of sheets he'd been crying on earlier. "Sorry," he said softly, "I wasn't feeling very well. I'm okay now though." He gave Keith a small smile, finally looking him in the eye.

Keith frowned as Shiro entered the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind him. Faintly he could hear the two of them talking but couldn't make out any of the words. Hearing a quiet whine, Keith turned his head, offering his wolf a small smile. "'ust you 'nd me, boy," he whispered. Kosmo looked up at Keith, approaching the bed before resting his chin on it. Keith started to lightly pet the top of his wolf's head, smiling as Kosmo leaned into the touch. "Be go'd for th'm, 'kay?" he said quietly, looking into Kosmo's yellow eyes. 

Hearing the door open, Keith turned his head back, hand still resting on top of Kosmo's head. He couldn't help but frown when he saw Lance's red eyes and sorrowful expression. He knew the topic earlier was hard for Lance. It was hard for all of them but Keith also knew it had to be spoken about before it was too late. 

He returned Lance's smile. "Feel better?" he whispered.

Lance nodded. His stomach wasn't bothering him anymore. "You?" he asked, his voice still quiet.

Keith hummed softly. "Better now you're back." he mumbled, his eyes glancing up at Shiro before settling back on Lance. 

His eyes fluttered shut momentarily before opening again. He refused to fall asleep. He refused to let his last few moments tick by asleep. He wanted to spend every possible moment he could with Lance and Shiro.

"I won't leave again. Promise." Lance settled in the chair next to the bed, wrapping his fingers around Keith's hand and running his thumb over his knuckles.

Keith smiled, his eyes meeting Lance's. "I won't either," he said quietly.

Lance smiled softly in return. "Love you, sweetheart."

A tear rolled down Keith's cheek. He let his eyes slide shut. They would only be that way for a few moments. He...just needed to rest them. His body shook from a few coughs that managed to come through. "'hink we can go on va'ation after this?" he asked. He knew that a vacation was something they couldn't fathom until after the war but he needed something to talk about. Keep him awake. He needed to stay awake.

Lance smiled a bit wider. Keith was talking about the future. With himself in it. "I think we probably deserve one. Where would you guys want to go?"

Shiro took up a position behind Lance, hands on his shoulders. He smiled at Keith talking about the future. "Somewhere we can stuff Keith as full of Korean food as possible," he mused.

Keith smiled at that thought. "Bibimbap," he said softly. "Any'ere but Te'as," he added, his words slightly slurred as fatigue started to settle in.

"Deal," Lance said, noticing Keith starting to fall asleep, "but you gotta stay awake first, okay? I think we should go somewhere with a beach. I miss the ocean." He kept talking trying to keep Keith engaged in the conversation. "What do you think?"

"K'mo wo'ld like the be'ch," Keith mumbled. "'Ired."

Lance closed his eyes as he breathed in slowly. "I know you are, sweetheart. Just stay awake for us a little longer, okay? Just a bit, then you can sleep. We gotta wait for Pidge and Coran." Looking over Keith's tired face, Lance reached out with his right hand to brush away a few strands of hair that had gotten stuck to Keith's forehead again.

Shiro swallowed hard. He hoped this wasn't it. He didn't think he could take it if it were. "Keith, gotta stay awake a bit longer. For us, okay?" He tried to make his voice sound light but it fell a bit flat.

Keith forced his eyelids open slightly. He looked at Lance and then Shiro. 

It was getting hard to breathe again. A small amount of pressure seemingly settling on top of his chest.

"Cuba?" he mumbled.

"That would be great! I've always wanted to take you there. We could go to Veradero, visit my family. I know they'd love to meet you guys." Lance smiled softly as he envisioned the scene. Walking up to his house as his niece and nephew come barreling out to jump on him, Shiro and Keith following behind. Introducing them when his mom came outside. His mom wrapping each of them in a big hug, then complaining that Keith was too skinny and he needed to eat more. Giving Keith an apologetic look because he knew how much his mom was going to try to feed him while they were there. Lance wanted that. Badly.

Shiro smiled fondly. He could already envision the scene. It would have so much food. "Sounds good to me," he agreed.

Keith smiled, his eyes sliding shut again. "'Lways miss'd 'our fam'ly," he said, remembering how sad Lance got aboard the Castle of Lions. How happy he was to see them when they returned to Earth. "Warm too."

"Yeah. It would be nice to see them again," Lance said fondly. "And yes, it will be warm. You might want to consider wearing a color other than black. Both of you."

Keith chuckled weakly only for it to turn into coughs. It took a few moments for him to catch his breath. He forced his lips to turn upward as he answered Lance. "Not go'na happen." He liked to be warm anyways.

Lance frowned at Keith's coughing, before huffing a laugh of his own. "Just don't complain to me when you're sweating buckets down there. We're gonna have to put sunscreen on you every five minutes."

Shiro chuckled. He wasn't opposed to colors besides black, but it was true Keith would probably burn.

"Whatever is fine," he agreed easily. "Maybe shorts."

"What are you laughing at?" Lance said lightly. "You're just as pale as he is. Even if you wear all white we'll still be putting sunscreen on you every five minutes too."

Keith frowned. "Like being warm," he mumbled. 

It was one reason why he always slept in the middle. Lance and Shiro were like furnaces. 

"I'll m’tch my ja’ket," he mumbled, smiling.

That was certainly true. Keith always slept between him and Shiro because he claimed that space was the warmest in the bed, which Lance completely believed. Although he figured it was also because Lance and Shiro weren't together like that and while napping next to each other was one thing, sleeping right next to each other was a bit different. Maybe Lance could convince Keith to let him try it out sometime in the future if things worked out with Shiro. He'd probably suffocate from the heat though...so maybe it wasn't such a good idea. 

Lance smiled at Keith's joke. "Red does look really good on you."

Shiro shrugged. "True enough, but you'll be in a world of hurt when the day is done. I don't look forward to dipping you in an entire vat of aloe vera gel."

"I don't know. That sounds like fun to me."

Keith smiled. "’ive me a m’ssage," he mumbled before his face started to smooth out as his body started to fall asleep. 

Kosmo whined softly from his spot beside Keith's bed. He walked over by Lance, sitting beside him as a high pitched beep came from Keith's vital display; his O2 stat falling a few numbers.

Lance glanced up at the monitor when it beeped, his heart sinking. He looked back down at Keith, who had his eyes closed. "No, no, no. Eyes open, sweetheart. We were staying awake, remember?"

Shiro startled at the noise. He hadn't thought sleeping would do that. "Jagiya, stay awake. At least until we get the okay that you can sleep," he urged along with Lance.

Keith's eyelids shook as if he tried to open them but he couldn't find the strength to. Kosmo whimpered, picking up the anxiety coming from Lance and Shiro. He quietly barked, leaning forward to gently push his nose against Keith's cheek. "K'smo, st'p."

Shiro leaned down to press the call button. Hopefully Mila or Sorey could tell them if Keith could sleep or needed to stay awake, provide an update, anything.

"It’ll be okay, buddy," Lance said calmly, petting Kosmo on the head and scratching behind one of his ears. He was glad his voice had stayed level.

Keith tried to take in a breath, but it got caught in his throat. He coughed viciously, bringing tears to his eyes. 

Sorey opened the door, not fully knowing what to expect. He frowned when he heard Keith coughing. He hoped he had more time, they had more time. He closed the door behind him and started to make his way towards the bed.

Shiro looked relieved when Sorey was the one who came in. "Doctor. Keith's falling asleep and it's causing an alarm. We don't know if we need to keep him awake or if he can..."

Lance looked to Sorey, squeezing Keith's hand a little in his own.

Sorey gave the two men a tense smile. While letting Keith sleep would give the poor man a rest, a reprieve from the pain he was undoubtedly feeling, but…

There was a good chance Keith would not wake up.

"His oxygen levels are falling, that's why it’s beeping," Sorey explained before he started listening to Keith's breathing, his frown deepening as he did. He looked at Shiro and Lance. "The space I drained earlier is refilling," he told them softly. 

Keith laid there, hearing Sorey speak. He was getting worse. What did he do to deserve this?

"Is there anything you can do?" Lance asked.  _ Hurry Pidge, Coran. Please _ .

Shiro looked up to the bags Keith was hooked up to. The blood ones were almost empty. More to flood into his lungs. "Do you have an update from the lab?"

Sorey looked at Lance with a remorseful look. "I don't want to keep poking him with needles when he's not clotting. It could cause more problems," he explained. "If the time comes, and it's what he wants, we'll put him on a ventilator," he said before turning to look at Shiro. "Last I heard, they have a start of an antidote, but it's not mixing well with Keith's blood. They're getting there."

Shiro swallowed hard but nodded. It was progress. They were almost there.

Lance's stomach dropped. He wished he were smarter. He would rush down to the lab right now and help them figure this out. He focused on the part where they at least had something close to what they needed. Soon. Soon they would figure it out. Soon Keith would be better.

Keith forced his eyes to open so he could look at Sorey. "How long?"

Sorey looked at Keith. "The antidote should hopefully be done soon, but I don't know, biology is a tricky-"

"No," Keith croaked out, "me."

Sorey's eyes widened.  _ He’s asking how long until he dies? _

"...I don't know Keith," he answered quietly, not sure if he wanted to or should answer.

Keith's eyes closed again, a shaky breath leaving him.

Shiro clenched his jaw. "Not for a long, long time," he interjected. "Not if we have anything to say about it."

Lance swallowed hard. Why was Keith asking about that. "Shiros right. Old and gray, remember?" Lance tried to keep his voice steady, but it still wavered slightly. "And none of us are...well none of us are old... one of us is gray..."

Keith smirked. "'nd people call me 'he stu'orn one," he mumbled before smiling at Lance's joke. 

Sorey chuckled at Lance's joke but took a step back. "I'll be back soon," he said slipping out the door. He sighed, a concerned look on his face. He headed down the hall. He knew he would be returning soon to put Keith on a ventilator.

Shiro looked down at Lance, a slightly exasperated look on his face. "We talked about this. Dye would be a pain, and apparently this makes me look 'distinguished' anyways," he muttered the last bit to himself. Hopefully that would get some amusement out of Keith.

"I didn't say you looked bad," Lance stated.

Keith smiled, the sound of his lovers' banter making him feel content. With his eyes closed, he could almost imagine them back home, nestled on the couch. He would be reading, Lance playing a game, Shiro working on paperwork. It was a nice thought. A nice memory.

Shiro huffed a little, still inexplicably sensitive about his hair. "That's true. You didn't," he allowed, moving to Keith's other side to take hold of his other hand.

"You should open your eyes. There are so many parts of this beautiful room you haven't seen yet," Lance said, trying to keep the mood up and keep Keith awake. "Like that plant over there in the corner. It's very very fake, but it still looks nice. Or the shadow on that wall kind of looks like a cat."

Keith hummed quietly but didn't make any obvious attempt to open his eyes. He was tired. His chest hurt... his whole body hurt. He was cold, his body shivering, but he also knew he was running a horrible fever. He was sick of being sick. He wanted to go home. 

"...Home," he slurred, not realizing he was speaking his thoughts out loud.

Lance squeezed his eyes shut as his heart constricted, then blinked them back open, willing away more tears. "I know, sweetheart. Me too. As soon as you're better," he said thickly, "then we can go home."

Shiro nodded his agreement. "You can burrow in the middle, like you like," he carried on, wishing they could be there now. "And we'll make all our favorite foods."

Keith's lips twitched upward, liking the sound of that, before they relaxed again. He heard a beep and he vaguely remembered that it wasn't a good thing but he couldn't bring himself to see what it meant. His brows furrowed as he shifted. He coughed, chirping quietly as it ended.

Lance looked at Shiro, worry plain on his face, then turned back to Keith. "Please, sweetheart, you gotta keep your eyes open. How else am I supposed to see that beautiful purple color I love so much?" Lance tried to keep his tone light, but he couldn't keep the fear from his voice.

Shiro squeezed Keith's hand. "We can't disappoint Lance now, can we?" He chimed in, trying to convince the man in the bed to stay awake. "Plus I want to see them too."

"He'd 'urt," Keith mumbled, "'Ights." He tried to squeeze Shiro's hand but all that came from the effort was a twitch. He was so cold. Tired. Pain. He whimpered as a thrum of it went through his stomach. 

He couldn't understand why his nurse would do this. From little snippets of conversations he heard, he knew it was intentional but he couldn't understand why. Yes, he was part Galran but he thought he did enough good to show that Galrans can also be good. The whole Blade of Marmora group was evidence of good Galrans. It just seemed like no matter what he did, what he sacrificed, he was never good enough. Even now he was disappointing Lance because he couldn't even open his damn eyes.

Shiro frowned at the twitch in Keith's hand -  _ Was that him trying to squeeze back? _ \- and detached his right arm to float over to the light dimmer. It turned the lights down and then floated back, connecting with a soft click. "That might help some," he murmured as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, the wall behind the bed backlit with rope lights.

Lance blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dimmer lights. He squeezed Keith's hand a bit, hoping that at least if he couldn't open his eyes he could squeeze back some.

"'Hank you," Keith mumbled as the lights dimmed. He felt Lance's hand squeeze his own and desperately tried to squeeze back. To curl his fingertips, something. But nothing but a twitch. Everything felt like it was weighed down. 

Underneath the mask, his nose once again started bleeding, a small river falling from his left nostril. His body stopped shivering, the energy going towards keeping him alive. Keith coughed weakly, a metallic taste in his mouth.  _ Is this it? _ he thought once he realized what he was tasting. 

"Hink yo'r mom will like me?" Keith asked although he had a feeling he would never feel the Cuban sun, or see the beautiful beach. Lance's smile. Shiro's kind eyes. Never again.

Lance noticed the trickle of blood even in the dim lighting and wanted to wipe it away, but was afraid Keith couldn't breathe well enough of his own. He decided to just run his thumb over Keith's knuckles gently. He had felt the twitch of his fingers earlier when he tried to squeeze back. Was he really that weak? Lance blinked away the tears forming again in his eyes. This wasn't it, he wouldn’t let it be. 

"Of course she will. She'll love you. So much she might smother you with it so be prepared. She doesn't do anything halfway." Lance's voice cracked as he spoke.  _ Pidge, please. _

Shiro swallowed back his tears as the two talked.  _ Please, not yet. Please let us have more time,  _ he begged to any deity willing to listen. He hoped anyone would hear. He'd do anything.

Another beep sounded, Keith's oxygen levels falling once more. 

"'Ounds like you," Keith mumbled, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. "'m sorry."

Kosmo whined, pawing at the floor, his tail waving anxiously.

"Don't...don't apologize. Just stay with me Keith. Just a little longer, please. Pidge and Coran have to be almost done by now, they'll be here any minute, just stay with me," Lance pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

Keith coughed. It felt like something was crushing his chest. HIs lungs couldn't expand fully. He was so cold. 

Another beep. 

The door opened quietly, a remorseful Sorey coming in. He took in the scene and he didn't want to interrupt it. It was the last thing he wanted to do. "Commander?" he said softly. "A moment, please," he said, gesturing towards the door.

Shiro looked up, noting Sorey at the door. He shut his eyes for a moment, not wanting to go but knowing he had to. He stood and leaned down to press a kiss to Keith's forehead. "I'll be right back, jagiya," he murmured before he followed Sorey out into the hallway.

Lance looked over to Sorey when he spoke, his heartbeat picking up as fear coursed through him. He turned to look at Shiro as he left, before staring at his and Keith's hands. He closed his eyes and swallowed.

Sorey looked back at Keith and Lance once more before following after Shiro. He took a deep breath. "I'll make this quick," he said, knowing that the last place Shiro wanted to be was in the hallway and not at Keith's side. "Keith's blood oxygen levels have fallen below 50 and are still dropping. He...won't be conscious much longer," Sorey said. "The blood in his pleural space is literally suffocating him and he's in total system failure. Did you get an answer about a ventilator?"

Shiro nodded. He took a moment before he was able to speak. "He said unless there's no hope of him coming back mentally intact, he's willing to do it," he finally spoke, voice shaking a little. "Whatever it takes to keep him here until the lab comes up with something."

Sorey nodded. "It's not going to be long now," he said solemnly. "When I put him on a ventilator, I will also place a feeding tube through his nose. Once he falls unconscious...I don't know how long he will be, Commander, or if he'll ever wake up even with an antidote," he added. "And there are, of course, complications that can come from being placed on a ventilator. The most common one is pneumonia, as well as sinus infections, Pneumothorax, lung damage and damage to the vocal cords. Knowing these risks, as Keith's POA, do you consent to place him on a ventilator when it is necessary?" He said. 

* * *

Keith's brows furrowed when he felt Shiro's lips touch his forehead and then a door click. "T'ashi?"

"He's talking with Sorey," Lance said, running his thumb over Keith's knuckles again. "He'll be back soon."

Shiro shut his eyes, a tear leaking out despite his best efforts. "Yes, I do," he agreed, hating that it had come to this. That he even had to court this line of thought. That he'd had to say yes to try and save Keith. He wiped the tears from his eyes. "Any update from the lab?" He wanted to have some hope that this wouldn't all be in vain.

"Last I heard they are synthesizing the antidote and they think they'll have his first dose ready in about two hours," Sorey said. "Now, we just have to keep him alive until it's done. Also, commander, I thought you would like to know that Nurse Laogai has been formally arrested for attempted murder. She'll be taken back to Earth in a few days after Keith recovers and the charges can be finalized," he reported.

Shiro nodded. Before she went, he planned on having a few words with her. What they consisted of would change based on how Keith fared. "I appreciate the updates. I'm sure Lance will as well," he murmured.

Sorey nodded. "I'm going to go grab the necessary items to place Keith on a ventilator and feeding tube," he said. "I'll be back soon." He bid Shiro farewell and then walked down the hall. 

* * *

Keith hummed softly at Lance's answer. Another beep echoed. "'Ance?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Love you," he whispered. If he died tonight, that is one thing that he didn't want either Shiro and Lance to doubt. He loved both of them. He pictured years with them. Enjoyed the past 6 months with them. Wish he could stay with them. "'Hank you f'r ev'ryth'ng."

Lance let out a quiet sob. "I didn't do anything though. What are you thanking me for?"

"Ev'rything," Keith responded quietly. "E'very'ne else gave up 'n me. Y'u nev'r did. 'oved me." Keith coughed, his brow furrowing as he did. He settled a few moments later. "S'ayed with 'e."

"Of course I did. No place I'd rather be." It was starting to hurt to talk. All the crying he'd been doing had completely dried out his throat, not to mention given him a terrible throbbing headache to accompany his overused facial muscles. "I'll never leave you."

Keith fell silent, his face smoothing out as the lack of oxygen started to catch up to him. He wanted to stay awake, at least until Shiro got back. So he could tell him that he loved him. That he cherished him as well. But he was so tired. It hurt to breathe. To live.

Shiro walked back into the room, somber as he took his place next to Keith's bedside. He reached for his hand gently. "Keith?"

"'Ashi?" Keith whispered, practically unconscious. 

Another beep.

Shiro didn't have any more tears to cry. "They're going to put you on a ventilator soon," he informed him quietly, just audible over the beeping. "So we only have a few minutes left."

Lance looked up at Shiro.  _ A few minutes? _

Shiro glanced up to Lance, catching his eye before looking back to Keith. "The lab should have an antidote ready in a couple of hours, but your lungs aren't going to hold out until then without help. They're also installing a feeding tube so your body can get nutrition while you're asleep." Not dead. Just asleep. There was a distinct difference.

A small wave of relief ran through him. They had the antidote. Just a few more hours. And then Keith would get better. They could go home. He wouldn't think about the feeding tube, the ventilator. 

"Hear that? Just a few more hours and we can start getting you better. And soon after that we can go home and start planning that trip to Cuba, okay?" Lance squeezed Keith's hand lightly.

Keith hummed. He could only manage short, quick breaths. He felt like he was floating.  _ Is this what dying is like? _

"Lov' you, Tak'shi." He managed to whisper.

Another beep sounded off.

Sorey silently entered the room. He knew it would probably be only moments from now that Keith would fall unconscious. He kept his head bowed and tried not to listen. He wasn't here to witness this intimate moment and wanted to give the trio as much privacy as he could with Keith's on death's doorstep.

Shiro squeezed Keith's hand. "I love you too, sweetheart. To the moon and back." He managed to find a few other tears to cry as he pressed another kiss to Keith's knuckles.

Keith's lips twitched upward before falling slack, the rest of his body falling suit as he slipped into unconsciousness. Another beep sounded off. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that Lance sings is 'Lay Me Down' by Sam Smith.

Sorey glanced up at the beep. 49. He was surprised Keith made it this long. He swallowed and tipped his head. He would give the two a moment before he went over and tubed Keith. They deserved that much.

Lance let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Keith's heartbeat on the monitor. As long as that sound kept going, Keith was alive. Keith would come back to him.

Shiro focused on memorizing Keith's face, the sound of his heartbeat, committing it to memory. He needed to remember this. In case...but that wouldn't happen. It couldn't. 

"We'll be right here when you wake up," he murmured softly and kissed Keith on the cheek gently. He then moved to stand behind Lance, wanting to support him if he needed it.

"Right here," Lance echoed quietly. He could feel his tear ducts trying to work again but it seemed that he'd finally run out. His head throbbed and he brought his hand up to rub at his eyes, hoping it would ease the pressure behind them.

Shiro stepped forward to put a hand on Lance's shoulder. He didn't say anything, just silently tried to support him.

Sorey pushed himself off of the wall, wheeling the large ventilator machine with him along with a cart full of medical supplies. 

He gave the two a small, comforting smile. "You two don't have to be here for this. Why don’t you get a bottle of water or something? You two have been here all day," he suggested with a kind smile.

Lance hung his head. "Can I stay?" he asked quietly. "I don't wanna...I can't..."

Shiro frowned. "I don't know if that's a good idea," he warned. This got... unpleasant.

Sorey nodded. "Understandable," he said. He started through the motions. He moved towards the head of Keith's bed. He pushed it away from the wall so he could stand in front of it.

Gingerly, he lifted Keith's head and pulled the pillow from underneath it. He placed it on the cart before pulling on a pair of gloves and grabbed a long tube and a metal tool. 

Gently, he pulled off Keith's oxygen mask, frowning when he saw the blood dripping from Keith's nose and the bluish tint his lips had. 

He tipped Keith's head back and opened the man's mouth. He placed the metal instrument into Keith's mouth, pushing the tongue down so he could see Keith's throat clearly. Slowly and expertly slid the tube into Keith's throat. He pulled out the tool and used his stethoscope to make sure he got the placement correct. 

Wordlessly he hooked up the ventilator and powered it on, a soft whoosh coming from it every few seconds as it started to breath for Keith. 

"I'm also going to drain the fluid again," Sorey said, opening another drainage kit. "Give the lungs more room to expand."

Lance watched as Sorey started to move around Keith, but turned away and shut his eyes when he got ready to put the tube down Keith's throat.

Shiro turned Lance's face to his chest, pulling him close to try and block out the unpleasantness of the task. "C'mere," he said quietly. "Even if you insist on staying, you still don't need to see this."

Lance turned into Shiro, still keeping hold of Keith's hand in his own. At the sound of the ventilator starting to work, Lance took in a shuddering breath. How did they even get here.

Shiro looked up from where he'd been focused on Lance's hair to avoid seeing Keith being intubated. Sorey was just opening another drainage kit. He kept Lance's head tucked into his body.

Sorey ignored what was going on with the other two. He had to focus on his patient. He quickly went through the same process as before to drain the blood, a small sigh leaving him when he saw the same thing happen as last time.  _ So much blood. _

He turned and grabbed the thin long tube from his cart. He let out a deep breath. He hated putting in feeding tubes. With his free hand, he elevated Keith's bed so he was in a seated position.

Once in the correct position, he started pushing the tube into Keith's nose, feeding it down his throat and into his stomach. It wasn't a short process as he continued to push the tube further into Keith's body. Once fully in place, he grabbed a piece of medical tape and taped the exposed part of the tube to Keith's cheek.

He grabbed a second piece and taped the ventilator tube in place before turning back to the drainage bag. He pulled it out, closing his eyes briefly when he saw that it was another half pint of blood.

He would have to get more blood for him from the blood bank.

Shiro looked away again as Sorey started to put the feeding tube in. He hated those. They always made him feel like throwing up. "Almost there," he murmured to Lance.

Lance made a small noise in the back of his throat and leaned more into Shiro. His headache was getting worse, the more his body kept trying to cry, the more his head throbbed. He hoped it would stop soon. He was sure it was also because he was dehydrated. He should probably drink some water soon, but he didn't want to leave until he knew Keith would be okay.

Sorey grabbed a bag filled with an ivory colored substance, a thick concoction of nutrients to keep the body running. He hooked it up to the feeding tube before adding it to the IV pole. He peeled off his gloves. "I have to grab some more type specific. I'll be back in a second to drain the other side," he said before leaving the room.

Shiro released his hold slightly so Lance could duck out if he wanted to. He looked up to see Keith hooked up to all the machinery and tensed as he witnessed it. Logically he knew this would happen, but it hadn't prepared him for the reality of it.

Lance felt Shiro let go slightly and assumed that meant it was over for the most part. He wasn't sure if he wanted to turn around. He knew what he would see and wasn't sure he could handle it. He turned slowly to look back at Keith and his breath caught in his chest in a short gasp. "Keith," he breathed sadly after taking in the tubes now attached to his boyfriend. They were keeping him alive. That was the important thing. No matter how terrifying it was to see him like this. It wouldn't be for long. Soon he would be breathing by himself again, smirking in that stupid way that had Lance's heart trying to jump out of his chest. They would go home and Lance would never let him go. Never again would there be a day like today.

Sorey re-entered the room, two bags of blood and two chilled bottles of water in his hands. He placed the bags on his cart before handing over the bottles towards the two men. He gave the two a sympathetic smile. "Keith wouldn't want you two to neglect yourselves," he said softly, shaking the bottles a bit.

Kosmo whined and whimpered as Keith was tubed, his eyes darting between Keith and the other two. He pawed at the floor and his tail wagged anxiously, wondering what was happening to Keith and why Shiro and Lance weren't doing anything to stop it.

Lance took the water bottle he was offered, but made no move to open it, instead reaching out to rest a hand on Kosmos head, petting softly. "It's alright, buddy," Lance said quietly. "Keith'll be fine."

Shiro took one of the bottles with a quiet "thank you". Sorey was right, Keith wouldn't want them forgetting about taking care of themselves. He rested his other hand on Lance's back, knowing he was likely still shaken. "Just a couple of hours, and then we can go from there," he reassured quietly.

Kosmo whined, visibly deflating before curling up beside Keith's bed, his eyes forlorn as he looked up at Keith's body. 

Sorey gave the two what he hoped was a reassuring smile before hooking up the two bags of blood up to Keith's IV. He looked at Lance. "As a doctor and a friend, you need to drink something. You've been through a lot of stress. Both of you."

"I'm not sure I can keep it down," Lance muttered, looking at the water bottle in his hand. The thought of anything in his stomach was making him want to hurl again, even if he knew he needed it.

"Small sips," Sorey responded. "Keith would kill me if he woke up to you in a hospital bed," he said with a small smile. "And I don't need another patient."

Lance nodded, opening the bottle to take a small sip. "When," he mumbled placing the cap back on.

Sorey raised an eyebrow, confused as to what Lance meant.

"Not if," he clarified, seeing Soreys confused. "When."

Shiro nodded his agreement. "When," he confirmed as he twisted the top off of his water bottle and took a drink. "Although Lance technically hasn't been discharged yet, so he's still your patient."

Sorey frowned. He didn't want to crush them with the reality that Keith might not wake up. He smiled weakly at Shiro. "I guess you're right, so as your doctor Cadet, I need you to drink that water in small sips. I'm going to step out, see how they're doing in the lab. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," he said, heading out. 

Kosmo whined from where he lay. He stood up and walked up towards Shiro and Lance, pushing his nose into Shiro's hip.

Shiro looked down at Kosmo before he capped his water again and knelt so he was on Kosmo's level. "Hey, boy. Keith's just sleeping right now. He's sick, but he's gonna get better soon. Okay?"

He reached out a hand to pet Kosmo's head, giving him some scratches behind the ear.

"Thanks, doc," Lance said as Sorey went to leave. Despite the order, Lance left his water untouched. Instead he listened to Shiro talking to Kosmo. Keith would get better. Keith would wake up. Keith would come home.

Kosmo whined loudly. He looked at Lance as if he could get a better answer from him. He "spoke", a series of barks and growls.

Lance turned to look a Kosmo slowly. "Shiro’s right, bud. Keith'll wake up soon." Lance turned back to Keith. "He has to."

Kosmo whimpered before walking over to Keith's bed. He sat down, his tail covering his paws before he rested his head on Keith's bed close to the unconscious man's hand. He gave it a hesitant lick, whining when nothing came from it.

Shiro sighed at Kosmo's sadness and stood, looking to Lance. "Looks like right now the most we can do is focus on keeping you healthy. Can you try some water to see if you can keep it down?"

Lance didn't want to. He didn't want to do anything until Keith was better, but he nodded. Shiro had enough to worry about. Lance took another sip of his water and sighed quietly.

Shiro nodded, pleased. He knew Lance still didn't want to probably, but at least he was following advice. "Thank you," he said quietly as he moved to take a seat. He sat heavily in the chair, covering his face with one hand and massaging his temples. Gods, this was hard. He hadn't thought this would ever happen.

"He'll be fine," Lance said quietly after noticing Shiro rubbing his temples. He couldn't offer much more than words, but he slowly reached over, putting his hand on Shiro's knee.

Shiro looked up, sending Lance a tired smile. "I know he will. I just didn't think this would happen so soon," he admitted. He thought he'd had years to prepare for any of them having health issues. Hell, he thought he'd be first before either of them.

Wait, when had he started putting Lance in there? He wanted him to be, but it wasn't a sure thing.

The corner of Lance's mouth twitched as he attempted to smile back. "I don't think anyone did."

Shiro hummed his agreement as he looked down to Lance's hand on his knee. He couldn't be quite sure if this was just simple support or something more. "We should probably talk when all this is over," he said quietly, looking back up to Lance's face to watch. He was always fairly expressive, and Shiro needed to know what he was thinking.

"Yeah," Lance agreed, taking his hand back, having provided the small comfort he'd wanted. They all needed to be more careful so things like this didn't happen again. He knew Keith wouldn't agree to quitting the Blades, but maybe he could get him to agree to not going on solo missions anymore. Maybe more check-ins? He knew Keith would fight them on it, but Lance wasn't going to budge. He didn't think he could do this again. Twice was enough.

Shiro felt the loss as Lance took his hand back. He sunk into the chair a little bit farther. "We should take a break," he suggested as he looked over to Keith on the bed. He swallowed as he counted all the tubes again. "Get some air. Check on Pidge and Coran."

"You go. I..."  _ can't leave. Not until he wakes up. _ "I have to stay."

Shiro frowned and sat up a little. "Lance. You can't just stay here the whole time. It's not healthy." He knew better than anyone that dwelling didn't help anything.

"I won't. Just until he's okay. Then I'll go wherever you want me to," Lance looked over Keith's face. He couldn't go, not when something could potentially happen while he wasn't here. Until Lance was told that Keith was 100% on the mend, he wouldn’t leave. "Please don't make me go, Shiro."

Shiro sighed. He understood, he really did. He didn't agree with it necessarily, but he got it. Felt the same way, but knew he had to do other things. "Alright. You keep an eye on Keith for the both of us, then." He hesitated, wanting to give an affectionate gesture, but not knowing what would pass as okay. He settled for returning the hand on the knee that Lance had given him earlier. "I'm going to go to the lab. Check in on Pidge and Coran."

Lance looked down at Shiro's hand on his knee and nodded. "Tell them 'thank you'," he added softly, looking up at Shiro.

Shiro nodded, squeezing lightly before releasing his hold on Lance and standing. "I will. Call me if you need anything," he reminded as he headed out the door for the lab.

"I will." Lance watched Shiro walk out of the room before turning back to Keith, then looking down at Kosmo. "Looks like it's just us now, buddy."

Shiro headed down the hallway, trying not to think about anything too hard. He didn't think his brain could take it right now. He nodded at the people he passed in the hallway, most wearing scrubs, until he came to the lab door. He swiped his right hand over it and entered, seeing Pidge, Coran, and Mila clustered together. "Hey," he announced himself quietly with a wave.

Pidge looked up, goggles on her face making their eyes look even larger. "Shiro!" They exclaimed as they ran over, making Shiro wince with how fiercely they hugged him.

Mila looked up from what she was doing, her eyes wide. "Commander! What? Is Keith okay?"

Shiro looked down at Pidge before hugging them. "He's stable. He's on a ventilator, his oxygen levels weren't as high as Dr. Sorey liked." He looked up to Mila again. "He's also on a feeding tube. I'm not sure if he's being kept asleep, but he's out right now."

Kosmo lifted his head and turned to look at Lance. He looked back at Keith whining quietly before turning back to Lance. He walked over to him, tail between his legs and ears pushed against his head.

Mila frowned. "It’s standard protocol to add a sedative when putting someone on a ventilator so he's probably out for a while unless he fights it off. Is Lance okay? Are  _ you _ okay? I know that's not an easy sight to see."

Lance's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy as he reached for the wolf, petting him gently across the head and then scratching behind one ear. "I know, buddy," he said thickly. "It's hard for me to see him like this too." Lance took a deep breath. "But he'll wake up soon," he added, giving the pup a small smile. "And then we can cuddle with him all we want, right? And then when he's all better we can both lay on him so he can't go anywhere and get hurt again, okay? We'll keep him safe. Us and Shiro."

Kosmo laid his head on Lance's knee, his yellow eyes peering up at the Cuban.

"Promise," he whispered. "Never again." He ran his hand through Kosmos fur, the other never leaving Keiths.

Kosmo let out a soft sigh, lifting his head before walking around to Lance's side. He laid down, his paws resting gingerly on Lance's feet as he leaned the side of his head against Lance's hip, his eyes locked on Keith.

Shiro nodded. "We're okay, I think. Well, not okay, but..."

Pidge let Shiro go. "You scared the shit out of us, you know." They paused at the look Shiro leveled at them. "Yeah yeah, language."

Coran used a gloved hand to twist the end of his moustache. "Number Five is right, Shiro. That gave us quite a scare."

Shiro ducked his head apologetically. "Sorry. We thought everything was fine."

Mila smiled reassuringly. "All that matters is that he is going to be okay."

Shiro looked at her slightly dubiously, knowing the truth. Keith might not wake up. This might not work. He may have just consigned his boyfriend to death.

"How's the antidote coming," he asked instead.

"Still synthesizing. His hybrid blood has been a bit of an obstacle to overcome," Mila explained. "Should be done shortly."

Shiro tilted his head. "And you've been able to test it?"

Coran chimed in. "We had a blood sample," he informed Shiro. "We tested it against that and it proved fairly effective. It should work for Keith as well."

"You should grab something to eat Commander," Mila suggested softly. "Pidge and I will deliver the antidote as soon as it’s done."

Shiro looked between the three of them, Pidge and Coran with concerned gazes, and nodded. "Might not be a bad idea," he agreed. He wasn't hungry, but he knew that he should eat and get Lance something too.

Pidge nudged him with their elbow. "Go. We'll be there soon," they reassured him, voice aged far beyond their years.

"Give Lance a hug for me," Mila added.

Coran smiled. "Go be with your family, Shiro. We'll take care of this," he said kindly and turned back to the test.

Shiro nodded, eyes a little damp, before he turned and headed for the mess hall. He didn't deserve them. They were too good.

He walked in and started looking at the menu, chewing on his lip. He didn't really know what Lance would eat right now. If anything.

Lance sat in silence for a few minutes, just petting Kosmo before deciding that just listening to the sounds of the various machines was going to make him sick with worry. The more he heard them, the more he thought about how messed up Keith was. He loved the sound of the heartbeat monitor, it was proof that Keith was still with him, was still alive, but the more he heard only that and not Keith's voice, the more it slowly tortured him. He's alive, but he's not conscious. He's not okay. 

Lance started to hum. Just random notes until they fell into a familiar pattern and a thrum of sadness washed through him as he began to sing quietly, his voice cracking as his throat constricted from trying to cry tears he didn't have anymore.

_ And it's hard, the days just seem so dark _

_ The moon, and the stars, are nothing without you _

_ Your touch, your skin, where do I begin? _

_ No words can explain, the way i’m missing you _

_ Deny this emptiness, this hole that i’m inside _

_ These tears, they tell their own story _

_ You told me not to cry when you were gone _

_ But the feeling’s overwhelming, it's much too strong _

_ Can I lay by your side, next to you, you _

_ And make sure you’re alright _

_ I’ll take care of you, _

_ And I don’t want to be here if I can’t be with you tonight _

Lance swallowed around the lump in his dry throat and he closed his eyes as a fresh wave of sadness washed over him. His features contracted in anguish as he tried to breathe through his now tight chest, the breaths coming out in short pants and gasps as he sobbed, tearless.

"Evening, Commander, what can I get for you?" Jeremy said, looking up from the counter.

Kosmo whined when Lance started weeping, pawing at Lance's knee. He "spoke" and gently butted his nose against Lance's stomach.

Shiro looked from the menu to the man standing in front of him. "Hi. Um. You guys know Lance's food choices better than I do. What's comfort food for him?"

Lance ignored the sharp pain in his side as he bent over at the waist to bury his head in Kosmo's fur. "I can't live without him, Kosmo. I love him so much," he whisper-sobbed into the wolf's neck.

"Comfort food?" Jeremy asked confused as he straightened up, thinking. "Uh...most likely food his mom used to make, or anything Hunk whips up. I heard he and that boyfriend of his got pretty beat up, are they okay?"

Kosmo whimpered. He leaned into Lance and allowed him to hold on to him.

Shiro frowned as he looked through the food options in front of him, needing a distraction. "Lance is gonna be okay. Keith is gonna take a bit longer to heal," he said, not wanting to say the full extent. Word would filter through the ship eventually, but he didn't want to start it. Sad eyes were too much for him. "What here fits those categories?"

Jeremy nodded. "Well, I wish them both a speedy recovery." He smiled before continuing. "Um...well if he was in the hospital at all, he probably can't eat much of what he normally would. I could have them make you some Spanish rice, that should be easy enough to eat."

Shiro smiled gratefully. "Could you? We'd really appreciate it," he said sincerely. He had no idea what Spanish rice was but if Lance would eat it, he'd try anything. "And uhm, pizza is fine for me. Couple slices?"

"On it," Jeremy stated, turning to give the chefs the order, then handing it over to Shiro when it was finished. "I had them put in boxes for you. I figured you weren't eating here. Tell Lance and his man I hope they get better soon," Jeremy smiled, sending Shiro off with a wave.

Shiro smiled. "Thanks," he said sincerely and picked up a couple of bottles of water before he headed back to the room.

Lance pulled back from Kosmo, realizing the fur wasn't helping much with his breathing situation and forced himself to take bigger breaths. The motions tugged at the stitches in his side again and in a passing thought, he hoped he hadn't torn them out. It didn't feel like he was bleeding so he went back to calming himself down. In. And out. In. Out. He took a sip from his water bottle, the cool water soothing his throat. Lance closed his eyes and sighed, the black dots that had been encroaching on his vision fading back out when he opened them again.

He sat in silence for a minute before the door opened and he turned slightly to see Shiro standing in the doorway.

Shiro maneuvered his way through the door, letting it shut behind him and put the room back into dim lighting. "Hey," he said softly as he moved to set the containers down on the counter. "The kitchen made you something, if you want to try it." He pulled the water bottles out of his pockets and set them down too.

Lance looked mildly interested as he shifted to keep his eyes on Shiro as he walked through the room. Depending on what it was, he might try to eat it. "What is it?" he asked, surprised at how much his voice was still cracking.

Shiro frowned a little at hearing how rough Lance's voice was. Apparently he'd still been crying. "Spanish rice," he said as he took it out of the bag and started digging for silverware. "They also say they hope you and Keith get better soon."

Lance hummed and nodded, not sure who Shiro was talking about. Any number of people would have heard by now, so anyone could have been wishing them better. He blinked as Shiro's other words processed. "Spanish rice?" he croaked.  _ That's not on the menu. _ "How did you-?" How did Shiro know? Through the slight nausea still present, he was suddenly starving for that little piece of home.

Shiro turned around, container in hand. He smiled a little. "I didn't, really. Jeremy suggested it. You have a lot of people that care about you," he said as he walked over to Lance. "Think you can give it a try?"

Lance would have to thank Jeremy later. He nodded, holding out his hands slightly.

Shiro handed the container over, fingers brushing Lance's slightly. His smile grew a little before he turned back to retrieve his pizza, taking the chair next to Lance. "I got a few extra water bottles too, if we need them," he told him.

Kosmo watched as Lance grabbed the container before moving back to Keith's bedside, resting his head beside Keith's hand.

Shiro set his pizza aside. "Kosmo, do you want dinner?" he asked as he looked at the wolf. He was pretty upset, Shiro wasn't sure if he would eat.

Kosmo's eyes drifted towards Shiro when the man said his name. They held the position for a few minutes before they returned to Keith.

Shiro hummed. That made sense. He'd give it a shot later. He folded his slice of pizza in half and started to eat.

"Thank you, Shiro," Lance said softly, opening the box. He stared at the contents before closing his eyes and inhaling as the scent hit his nose. A small smile formed on his lips as he opened his eyes again. It didn't smell quite like the rice that mom used to make, but it was close. Lance reached for the spoon they had given him and scooped a small amount onto it. He eyed it for a moment, wondering if his stomach would really allow it before deciding to go for it.

It tasted as good as it smelled and with it came memories from home, almost making him try to tear up again. His mom in the kitchen, cooking dinner, swatting at him with her spatula as he stole bites of food. His family around the dinner table, he and his siblings fighting over the food. The one time he'd convinced Hunk to let him borrow a space in the kitchen so he could make it for Keith after he'd mentioned he'd never had it.

Lance swallowed hard and put the spoon back down, looking over at Keith. Would he ever have moments like that again? He wanted to believe it so badly, but the longer it took for the antidote, the more Lance's hope faded. He wouldn't let it die completely, he would never give up on Keith, but he knew Keith was tired and in pain, and Lance didn't want Keith to be in pain anymore.  _ Please, Pidge, _ he thought, gripping the edges of the box tightly.

Shiro watched as Lance ate before gripping the box. "I stopped by the lab before. They say it shouldn't be long before the antidote will be ready," he spoke easily as he set the pizza down. He kept his voice light, not knowing how to address the emotions to make it a serious conversation. "Mila was with Pidge and Coran."

Lance nodded, staring down at his food. He wasn't sure he was hungry anymore.

Shiro sighed softly and reached a hand over to rub circles on Lance's back. "Just try. That's all I'm asking," he murmured.

Lance looked at Shiro briefly before turning back to his food and eating slowly. He waited a bit between bites, judging his stomach as he went, but he continued even though he wasn't in the mood anymore. He could do this for Shiro.

Shiro frowned a little as he watched Lance mechanically eat his rice.  _ I opened my dumb mouth, _ he chided himself before he went back to his pizza, finishing it off in short order even though he wasn't really hungry either. You still found a way to eat after a while, even if you weren't. He got up to put his container back in the bag, cleaning up after himself.

When Shiro got up, Lance stopped eating, closing the lid on his container. He'd maybe eaten about a third of it, but it was enough.

Shiro turned around in time to see Lance closing the lid on his container. "Done?" he asked softly, looking around to see if there was a fridge or anything to keep it for later. Looked like no dice, though.

"Yeah," Lance said quietly. He made no move to do anything, just continued to sit on his chair, box on his lap.

Shiro moved back over, carefully taking the box from him. "Thank you," he said quietly as he moved to take it back to the bag as well. He resolved to figure out how to make it and surprise Lance with it some time.

Lance hummed. He wasn't sure if there was anything to thank him for; all he did was eat some rice.

Lance turned back to Keith, reaching out a hand to close over his.

Shiro tied off the bag and set it back on the counter for him to take when he took another trip from the room. He sat next to Lance. "Doing okay?" Shiro asked quietly. He knew the answer was probably no, and that was okay.

Lance shook his head slightly. "No." Lance took a shuddering breath and his throat constricted. "I'm really not." The headache that had subsided was slowly coming back as his body tried and failed to create more tears. "How...how are you doing this? I feel like-" Lance swallowed thickly. "I feel like I'm fading right alongside him."

Shiro frowned. He wanted to pull Lance to his chest and hold him until it was better. Not that it would be soon, but he wished he could. He deflated a bit. "Practice," he confessed. "I'm used to things going to shit and needing to keep going through it. I compartmentalize a lot. I'll probably cry for days when I'm alone, or in a therapy session." He should have felt embarrassed to admit that, but he wasn't. Not to Lance. He'd managed to sneak past Shiro's defenses and become one of the people he trusted implicitly.

Lance nodded. "I wouldn't judge you, you know. You don't have to..." Lance faltered. He wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to say.  _ Put on an act? A facade? _ No that wasn't right. He just let the sentence hang, allowing Shiro to make of it what he would. "Not with me."

Shiro nodded. "I know," he said simply. "But I can't, not right now." He couldn't break, not when Lance and Keith needed him most. He needed to support them. After, sure. He'd get them home and mother hen over them until they got tired of it and put up a fight. He'd let them hold him as he cried. But he couldn't now.

"Okay," Lance said softly.  _ As long as you know you don't have to be strong all the time. I can be strong for you too...if you'll let me. _

Shiro looked Lance in the eye, trying to read him. "You... really don't mind?" he asked hesitantly.

Lance shook his head and offered a small wobbly smile. "Really."

Shiro let out a shaky breath, unsure. "You can say no," he started. "But um. Can I just. Hold you, or something?" He needed to feel like he could keep someone safe, close to him. He missed Keith terribly, but he wanted to protect Lance too. Comfort him. "I know it sounds silly, and the location is less than ideal, but..."

Lance acknowledged the slight increase of his heartbeat at the question, but pushed it from his mind. Now was not the time for that. That could come later, when Keith was better and awake and okay. Lance shook his head. He understood. "Yes."

Shiro let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he'd been holding in. The feeling flooded through him. He looked around, trying to figure out how this could work. He spotted a nicer chair in the corner that might fit both of them. "Do you want to go over there? You probably want to stay next to Keith," he thought out loud. "Do you want to sit on my lap?" He flushed a little. That was an awkward statement. "Not... like that, obviously."

Lance huffed a short laugh through his nose. Normally, he had a multitude of things he would say to make the slight blush on Shiro's face worse, but again, he reminded himself it wasn't the time. He gave Shiro another small smile. "We could pull the chair up. Like we did with my bed? And you're right. I'd like to stay near if we can."

Shiro nodded. He could do that. "Give me a minute," he said as he stood, walking over to the comfortable chair and starting to drag it over. It helped that it was on furniture movers so it glided more than anything, which was nice. Not that he couldn't move it, but Shiro preferred the easy way if he could get it. He got it as close to Keith's bedside as he could manage, gesturing for Lance to temporarily vacate his chair so he could reposition the new one closer.

Lance stood shakily, not realizing he hadn't really moved in a long time. He stumbled a bit as the blood rushed to his head, catching himself on Shiro's vacated chair as his vision blackened for a moment before fading back in.

Shiro turned when he heard Lance stumble, watching him fall heavily into his chair. "You okay?" He moved forward to check him over for himself. He resolved to make him drink more water when they were sitting together.

Lance nodded, his head pounding. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just hadn't moved in a while, my body wasn't ready."

Shiro nodded that he understood. He finished pushing the chair into place before sitting down, a bit surprised at how much space there was. Lance could sit next to him pretty comfortably if he wanted to. "Let me know if you need help getting over," he offered.

Lance reached out a hand. "Just in case," he said, standing slowly.

Shiro stood along with him, taking his hand and supporting him. "Good idea," he murmured as he followed Lance's lead.

Lance walked the few steps over to Shiro slowly, noticing that his legs were a little wobbly. Perhaps he wasn't as okay as he thought. It made sense though. He'd barely eaten anything in about a day at this point and he hadn't had very much water and with all the crying he did, he was probably dehydrated.

He motioned for Shiro to sit and followed after him, sitting sideways next to him and placing his legs carefully over Shiro's before leaning into his side and laying his head on Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro carefully helped Lance over to the chair and watched as he maneuvered them together, putting an arm around Lance's back to cradle him closer as Lance continued to rest his head on Shiro's shoulder. "Okay?" He confirmed. "Not stressing any of your stitches?"

Lance shook his head, holding his left arm in his lap. Having a cast was awkward, he hated it. He turned his gaze back to Keith. "I'm okay."

Shiro followed Lance's line of sight to look at Keith. He didn't think he would ever get used to the sight of him hooked up to the machines that were keeping him alive right now, but it was less jarring this time. He rested his head on Lance's lightly. "He's never been hurt this bad, even when he was in foster care," he said softly, almost too quiet to be heard.

Lance nodded. Keith had told him some of what had happened in his childhood back before he'd left for the Blades. There were a few moments when Keith had smiled as he told a particular story, but most of them had Lance pulling Keith into a hug and never wanting to let go. He had deserved so much better. Looking at him now, covered in tubes and wires and surrounded by machines, Lance had the same thought.

Shiro took a deep breath, shaky as it entered his lungs. He could feel his defenses lowering. "I feel like I let him down," Shiro admitted softly. "Like I should have gotten there sooner, or noticed when I looked at the bags earlier. Done anything. But I didn't." He hid his face in Lance's hair. "And now you're both hurt."

"Me too," Lance said quietly. "But there was no reason to think anything was wrong with the mission. The Lions got us as soon as they could. We...we couldn't have gotten there any sooner." He knew he was trying to reassure Shiro, but it was hard saying the words out loud when he also felt responsible. When they felt like a lie. "It's ingrained in us to trust nurses and doctors. It was  _ her _ fault. Not yours, Shiro.  _ She's _ the one who..." Lance trailed off for a moment, his anger making his headache worse. He closed his eyes to see if that would help. "She did this. And I got hurt because I was an idiot. I wasn't paying attention and then I got cocky and sent my backup to find you instead. This isn't on you, Shiro. It's on me."

Shiro shut his eyes. Logically he knew all of that, but he felt like he should have done more. Should have been able to. "You didn't get cocky. You got worried," he corrected. "That doesn't make it your fault, either." He used his free hand to trace along Lance's cast lightly.

Lance watched as Shiro ran his fingers over his cast. "Thanks, but..." Lance swallowed, not really sure if he wanted to tell Shiro this. "I'd already been shot once when I sent Hunk to find you." Lance gently moved his right shoulder, indicating where he was talking about. "I still thought I could hold them off by myself even with my trigger arm down. I should've told Hunk to get in Yellow and cover the wide perimeter. But I was sure I could do it alone. Like I said cocky."

Shiro frowned as Lance gestured to where he'd been shot. That  _ was _ pretty reckless of him. But. "It's not like I haven't made some dumb mistakes either," he responded quietly. He didn't often admit to them aloud, but he remembered them. He tucked his face back into Lance's hair. "But I am going to remember that during training, and you're probably going to get extra drills," he chided softly.

Lance sighed. "This is why I didn't want to say anything," Lance muttered quietly. He didn't want extra drills.

Shiro made a quiet protest. "No, I needed to know. Thank you for telling me," he said, squeezing Lance a little tighter. It shouldn't have helped, but it did. Lance removed a little bit of weight from Shiro's shoulders with that confession.

Lance hummed and let Shiro hug him a bit closer. The tug pulled slightly at his stitches, but not enough to actually bother him so he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to look at Keith again. What would Keith say when he knew exactly what had happened to Lance? Knowing what happened and knowing how it happened are two different things and Lance didn't know if he could ever bring himself to tell him. He wasn't sure if he would ever tell the rest to Shiro. Nobody needed that knowledge. 

Lance turned his head slightly and winced as he pressed the bruise on his cheek.

Shiro tutted softly as he saw Lance wince out of the corner of his eye. "Don't do that. Doesn't help," he murmured as he burrowed his face deeper into Lance's hair. He should know, it never helped him any.

Lance made a face he was sure Shiro couldn't see, but said nothing, choosing to just let his eyes wander Keith again.

Shiro let himself relax slowly as he just sat with Lance, listening to his breathing and Keith's heartbeat. Both of them were here, alive. They'd be okay. Even though it wasn't a sure thing, deep down Shiro knew that would be true. He opened his eyes from when they had drifted shut and glanced to Kosmo, whose eyes were still trained on Keith. He felt bad that he couldn't explain the situation to him more, but at least he had been well trained throughout. Shiro didn't know if he could cope with having to remove him during all of that. His eyes drifted shut again, still very much awake but letting himself bask in the calm that had settled in the room.

Mila knocked on the door before opening it, not wanting to barge in. She eased the door open and smiled at Lance and Shiro before walking in, Sorey and Pidge in tow. "It's finally ready," she said, gesturing towards the syringe in Sorey's hand.

Lance sat up quickly, looking between the three of them, swallowing around the lump in his throat. A few tears fell from his eyes. He hadn't realized he'd any left. Unconsciously, he grabbed onto a section of Shiro's shirt, his hands shaking. "Really?" he breathed. The question was so quiet he wasn't sure anyone but Shiro could hear him.

The knock at the door roused Shiro from the slight doze he'd entered into, sitting up straight and blinking to get his bearings. Keith in the hospital. Lance cuddling with him because he had asked.  _ Right. _

At the news his eyes widened. "Really?" He vocalized a little louder than Lance, enough to be heard when the other man couldn't. "You're sure?" He held Lance a little closer.

"Well, we won't know for sure until we try it unfortunately," Sorey said as he walked up to Keith's IV pole. He added the antidote into Keith's IV line. "Now, we wait some more, see if he responds to the treatment." 

Mila frowned as she looked at Keith. It was weird to see him so still, pale and lifeless and it hurt her heart. She could only imagine what Lance and Shiro were feeling. 

Sorey glanced up at Keith's vitals, frowning when he saw the high temperature. "Mila, grab some chilled blankets. His temperature is still way too high," he said. 

The nurse nodded and left to do as she was told.

Lance's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Keith. He wasn't sure how fast the antidote was supposed to work and he tried not to hold his breath. He gripped Shiro's shirt just a little tighter.

Shiro tensed as he watched the medicine be administered, holding Lance probably a little too tightly as they waited. He could tell they were all a bit on edge as they waited to see what happened.

Pidge hovered near the door, unsure if they should join Lance and Shiro. They looked awfully comfortable together and they didn't want to encroach if something was happening.

Lance could feel the sharp tug on his stitches as Shiro held him closer. His eyebrows twitched in pain but otherwise said nothing, too focused on Keith.

Mila returned with blankets in hand. She and Sorey carefully laid them over Keith, Mila adding a smaller towel across the sweat-damp forehead. Sorey quickly ran a vitals check, leaning back and looking at Lance and Shiro with a small, reassuring smile before his eyes drifted towards Kosmo, his smile growing a bit more remorseful. "He never leaves Keith's side, huh? Poor pup."

Shiro released his hold on Lance slightly. "Only when he's on missions with Krolia," he informed the doctor as he glanced down at Kosmo. His eyes were still trained on Keith and he looked unbearably sad.

Sorey hummed. He leaned and gently patted Kosmo on the head. "Good dog," he said, giving Kosmo an ear scratch before looking up at Shiro and Lance. "I don't know how long it's going to take for him to react to the antidote. Once he starts showing resistance to the ventilator, I will take him off. Sadly, the feeding tube will have to stay in until he's able to eat solid food and keep it down," he said before glancing at Pidge and then back the two. "Do you two have any questions? I will warn you both, however, Keith's recovery is...going to be arduous and won't be quick."

Shiro nodded. "What plans are there for the organ failures he sustained? Transplants, treatment..." he trailed off, not really knowing the options. His kidneys were shot, that was for sure. Could they grow new ones in the lab?

Sorey let out a soft sigh. "With his dual heritage, a transplant isn't feasible. We'll do a blood test once the antidote has a chance to work and see what the damage is fully and go from there. He will probably have to have a few dialysis sessions and breathing treatments. It all depends on how much damage the toxin did to his body which from the preliminary test is quite a bit unfortunately."

Lance felt his heart sink. There were still a lot of hurdles to overcome. It seemed like it was still going to be awhile before he could hear Keith's voice again, before he could see his eyes again.

Shiro frowned and nodded again. That made sense. "Lance? Any questions?"

Lance turned to look at Shiro before letting his gaze fall to his lap. "Not any they can answer," he said quietly. He ran his fingers absently over his cast. He wanted to know when Keith would wake up. When they could all go home. When this nightmare would be over.

Mila frowned, feeling the pain that was coming off of Lance. She walked over towards him and gently took him into her arms. "He's gonna wake up, honey," she told him quietly. 

Sorey let out a quiet breath. "All we can do is hope that the antidote will work and it does quickly."

Lance hugged Mila back tightly, burying his head in her shoulder. He hoped the antidote would work very quickly.

Mila held Lance close, resting her head against his, hoping to give some sense of comfort to the obviously hurting man.

Shiro let Lance go easy, knowing he needed to gain comfort from other sources too.

"Is there any time estimate?" he asked softly.

Sorey shook his head. "I'm hoping in an hour or two he'll start actively fighting against the ventilator. He was at the beginning of respiratory failure when I tubed him so it's going to take a bit of time for him to gain back some of that strength. He'll probably be on oxygen for a bit and be weak of breath until he finishes his breathing exercises to build that back up. "

Mila gave Lance a small kiss on the top of his head. "You'll get through this, he'll wake up, you'll both heal and move on," she reassured. 

Sorey smiled. "She's right," he said looking at both Shiro and Lance. "I can't express enough apologies to even start to make this situation right. That someone on our ship tried to hurt...kill..." Sorey shook his head, a frown pulling his lips downward. "But I am sorry that this happened to you three but I will do everything in my power to heal Keith."

Lance closed his eyes at the kiss. Mila had been like a big sister ever since he met her. She never failed to make him feel better. Even as slight as it was now, she still helped. "Thanks Mila," he said, offering her a small smile before looking at Sorey and nodding. He knew Sorey would do everything he could to help Keith. Anger budded in him, but he squashed it. There would be plenty of time for that later when Keith was better.

Shiro was angry at the last bit of Sorey's statement. It wasn't his fault, but it was. It was all of theirs. But anger and frustration wouldn't help right now. He needed to care and love and support. But like hell if he wouldn't plan a way to get back at the bitch. 

Shiro nodded. "So... we wait?"

Pidge took a seat in the chair next to Shiro. "I will," they said.

Sorey nodded. "That's all we can do and hope that Keith's body responds to the antidote," he explained.

Lance nodded again, leaning back into Shiro and grabbing a bit of his shirt again. If they had to wait he might as well get comfortable.

Shiro felt Lance shift and adjusted his arms so he was holding him again. This was...only slightly awkward with everyone in the room, but he would endure it.

Pidge side eyed the two of them but stayed silent. Maybe they finally got their heads out of their asses and figured it out.

Sorey smiled at the two, glad they were finding strength and comfort in each other. "I'm going to step out. I'll pop back in thirty or so minutes to check on Keith and see if I can take the tube out," he said before heading towards the door. 

Mila smiled at Lance. "I'll be back in fifteen to take the blankets off of Keith," she said before following Sorey out of the room.

"Thank you, Pidge," Lance mumbled, turning his face into Shiro's chest. He was so tired and his head was still pounding. He wanted to sleep, but couldn't. He needed to know that Keith was on the mend. That he would be alright.

Pidge looked over from where their gaze had drifted to Keith. "I didn't do anything, really. Just lent my computer for simulations."

Shiro brought a hand up to pet Lance's hair. "Come on, you need to drink a little bit more water, okay?" He was sure Lance was still massively dehydrated and probably had a wicked headache. His arm floated over to grab Lance's bottle and came back, clicking softly as it reconnected again. He held the bottle out to Lance.

"Never gonna get used to that," Pidge muttered. Shiro shrugged.

Lance let his eyes flutter shut as Shiro played with his hair. If he kept that up, Lance wouldn't be able to stay awake no matter how much he wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to protest. He gingerly took the bottle from Shiro, sitting up slightly, his hand shaking for some reason. He opened it to take a small sip before replacing the cap and holding the bottle in his lap, leaning back into Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro hummed, pleased that Lance had drank. He moved back to playing with his hair, knowing it was tiring the other man out and not caring. He needed to rest.

Lance turned his head to Keith as he moved his arm further across Shiro, taking hold of the part of his shirt as his side so he was half hugging him. He struggled to keep his eyes open as Shiro slowly put him to sleep. Today had been so long, and Keith was getting better now. He had the antidote. Lance could sleep and not worry about Keith slipping away from him. But there was still a small seed of doubt in him, one that kept him from relaxing completely into Shiro. He wanted to wait until Keith opened his eyes. Until he knew for sure Keith was out of the woods. He needed that reassurance. He was still so scared that something else would go wrong. But Shiro's arms were so warm and comforting and his fingers through his hair were so soothing that he let his eyes drift shut. After a few more minutes, Lance finally gave in, curling into Shiro and burying his head into his chest. Shiro would wake him if anything happened and Mila and Sorey had seemed optimistic and he trusted them, plus he was  _ so _ tired.

Shiro smiled to himself and started humming, a nonsense tune meant to let Lance drift off peacefully. He needed to rest to get better, and this certainly hadn't helped. Plus, having Lance in his arms and Keith on the mend had him feeling lighter.

Pidge looked over, one eyebrow raised as they snuggled down into their own chair to wait.  _ Softy, _ they thought to themself as they watched Shiro lull Lance to sleep with a sappy fond look on his face.

Lance smiled softly to himself as Shiro started to hum, tightening his grip on Shiro's shirt. He wondered if this was how Keith felt when Lance sang to him. Calm. Warm. Safe. He put up one more token resistance to the pull of sleep before letting go and drifting off, hoping his dreams would be more pleasant than reality.

Shiro stopped humming, just petting Lance's hair after a while. Soon he was fighting sleep off himself, eyes heavy as he blinked slowly. It had only been a half hour. Why was he tired already? He jiggled his foot to keep himself awake.

Pidge looked over to him as he fidgeted. "Sleep," they said softly. "I'll watch over Keith."

Shiro wanted to protest, he really did, but he didn't think he could keep his eyes open any longer. "Okay," he half slurred in his sleepiness, dozing off not long after, holding Lance like a teddy bear.

Sorey eased himself into the room, his eyes scanning it and couldn't help but smile a bit when he saw Lance and Shiro passed out on the chairs with an ever vigilant Pidge sitting beside Keith's bedside and Kosmo holding his spot with his head resting besides his owner's hand. It’d been a few hours since he gave Keith the antidote and it seemed to be working. His temperature was still elevated but at a more normal 102 than the 106 it was hovering at earlier. 

He headed towards Keith's bedside. He glanced at the ventilator system. It was time to test if Keith's lungs have enough strength to breath on their own.

Shiro heard footsteps approaching, even as he slept. His eyes snapped open but he didn't move at all, waiting to see who it was. When he saw Sorey he let out a slow, deep breath. Of course. This was okay. He shifted slightly to look at Pidge, still awake and tapping on a tablet occasionally, and Keith who was still out.

Lance shifted in his sleep, humming a bit as he curled further into Shiro, his arm tightening around his waist as he burrowed his face more into Shiro's chest.

Catching movement in the corner of his eye, Sorey glanced at the duo. He smiled when he saw Shiro awake. "Didn't mean to wake you, Commander," he said quietly as to not disturb Lance, "but if you're awake, I'm going to attempt taking Keith off the vent. The antidote seems to be working."

Shiro nodded gently, making sure to try not to jostle Lance. "Alright," he murmured, voice rough with sleep.

Sorey turned back to the machine and slowly started turning it off, the whooshing noise that had occupied the room for the past couple hours dying with it. It was almost eerily silent now. 

Sorey couldn't help but hold his breath as he detached the actual machine from the tube in Keith's throat. He’d been weaning Keith's body off of the ventilator but he always grew tense at the final test. It was a few tense moments before he saw Keith's chest shakily take in a breath and exhale moments later. It was weak and he would need a mask but Keith was breathing on his own. 

Turning, he started through the process of extubation. He began suctioning out the tube that was in Keith's throat before following the procedure to the point that he was pulling the flexible tube out. Keith's body reactively coughed, sounding wet. Sorey frowned but suctioned the inside of Keith's mouth before slipping a mask over the man's nose and mouth.

Shiro tensed as he waited for Keith to breathe, long moments passing before he was sagging back in relief when he finally did. Pidge grinned and stood in case Sorey needed their help with anything.

The coughing and the suctioning, however, were not nearly as pleasant. Shiro winced as the sound of Keith coughing - it didn't sound pleasant. Thank the gods he was asleep. He watched as Sorey finished and placed the mask over Keith's mouth. "Do we wake him or let him sleep," Shiro asked, unsure.

"Just for a vital check," Sorey said. "He's probably going to fall right back to sleep and not even remember it," Sorey said with a small chuckle. 

He pulled out a small light pen from his pocket. Using his knuckles, he rubbed them against Keith's sternum, nodding when Keith attempted to pull away from the pain. "Better than before. Keith, can you open your eyes?" he asked.

The lids fluttered slightly. Sorey ran his knuckles once more. "Keith, need you to open your eyes then you can sleep all you want."

Shiro winced as Sorey ran his knuckles along Keith's sternum, remembering how that felt. "Keith, just open your eyes for a minute, then you can go back to sleep," Shiro urged while trying not to wake Lance.

Purple slivers appeared between dark lids. Sorey smiled. "Hey, don't speak. You were on a ventilator and I just extubated you. Just need to run through a vital check on you. I'm gonna check your pupil reaction, okay? It’s going to be bright." He forewarned, even though he knew that Keith was barely conscious and wasn't registering anything. 

He used his pen light, checking Keith's eyes and finding both of them reacting equally, he nodded and stood fully. He checked Keith's pulse and then breathing before laying a gentle hand on Keith's shoulder. "Get some rest," he quietly.

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief when Keith opened his eyes just enough for Sorey to run his test, watching as he went through the steps. "Is he alright?" he asked, feeling shaky but trying not to let it sink into his voice. Was Keith okay? Was he really going to be fine?

Lance shifted again, brows furrowing as he mumbled Keith's name.

Sorey looked up at Shiro. "Preliminary tests show that his organs were indeed damaged due to the toxin, mainly his kidneys and heart. We're hoping further tests will show us to what extent but we feel that with a treatment plan and some rest, Keith should recover. We don't know what lasting effects will come but Keith will live."

On the bed, Keith grumbled, his brow furrowing. Kosmo gently nosed Keith's fingertips and gave them a small lick. Keith mumbled his wolf's name before falling asleep once more.

Shiro bit his lip. That should be good news, great even, but the concept of Keith being permanently injured was upsetting to say the least. Just because of who he was. He nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Doctor," he murmured and bowed his head slightly.

Sorey nodded and slipped out the door. It clicked shut behind him.

Pidge looked over to Shiro, eyes sharp in the dim lighting. "Go back to sleep, Shiro. You guys are gonna need it," they said as they settled again.

Shiro took the advice, eyes shutting as he let himself drift off again.

Lance felt himself being pulled back into consciousness, his body telling him he'd slept long enough. He protested though, nuzzling his head into Shiro's shoulder and grumbling.

Shiro groaned as someone grumbled very near his ear before he remembered. Keith. Hospital. Lance.

Shiro's eyes snapped open. He looked down, coming face to face with Lance. He was quite obviously fighting wakefulness. Shiro glanced at the clock - they'd been out for quite a while. Pidge was snoring lightly in the chair next to them. 

Shiro rubbed his hand up and down Lance's back. "Shh," he hushed.

Lance's eyebrows furrowed as he became more aware of his surroundings, of the hand on his back. He blinked open his eyes slowly, sighing, before his eyes shot open completely and he sat up, whipping his head towards Keith, breathing harder than he normally would have having just woken up. The first thing he noticed was that there was one less tube in Keith. When had that happened? What did that mean? He could still hear the heartbeat monitor beeping steadily and Keith's chest was moving, so he was obviously breathing. Which meant he had to be getting better. Wait. Keith was breathing by himself. A small smile formed on Lance's face. He knew  _ that _ was a good thing. Lance's breathing slowed as relief flowed through him, bringing his heartbeat back down too. In the corner of his eye he saw Pidge sleeping in the chair next to him and Shiro. Right. He was still sitting with Shiro. He turned to look at the man he had used a pillow the entire night, a slight blush forming across his cheeks.

Shiro's eyes widened as Lance sat up straight, relaxing when he smiled. Good, he wasn't upset that it had happened while he was asleep. That was probably for the best anyways, the procedure wasn't the prettiest and he'd rather spare him the gory details where possible. 

He caught the blush on Lance's cheeks as he turned to look at him and smiled in response. Whether or not there were feelings there, he was sure Lance would probably be embarrassed no matter what. "Good morning," he said softly. "Did you sleep well?"

Lance's blush darkened.  _ Yeah, he had. _ "Mornin',” he croaked, as he nodded his response to Shiro's question. Apparently his throat hadn't gotten much better as he slept. It was still terribly dry and scratchy. At least he didn't seem to have a headache anymore. "You?"

Shiro nodded. He had slept fairly well, all things considered. He had a feeling having a certain someone in his arms had helped. "How's your arm feeling," he asked, concern lacing his voice. He hoped sleeping like that hadn't made it worse.

Lance rolled his right shoulder a bit, feeling it out. It didn't hurt anymore than it had yesterday, but it didn't really feel any better. "Okay." He gingerly prodded at his side, which felt better today, despite how much he'd tugged at it yesterday.

Shiro hummed as he watched Lance test the boundaries of his injuries. "Next time you sleep, it's in a bed," he said seriously. Sleeping on his lap wouldn't facilitate his recovery, no matter how much Shiro wanted to cuddle.

Pidge mumbled and shuffled in their chair, snuggling down deeper into the blanket that had appeared over them between the last time Shiro had woken up and now.

Lance blinked, not really sure how to take that, but nodded. It would probably be more comfortable anyway. Not that he hadn't enjoyed cuddling with Shiro in the chair, but he was starting to notice that his knees were protesting having been in the same position for a very long time. He slowly lifted them one at a time and stretched them out forward, groaning as the joints popped and his muscles stretched. He let his legs rest on the chair arm and rolled his ankles.

Shiro winced sympathetically. He was sure he'd be doing the same thing soon.

Lance turned to Shiro, wondering if maybe Shiro was having the same problem. He didn't think he'd moved all night either. "Did you want me to get up?"

Shiro shrugged. "Doesn't matter." He'd get a chance to stretch eventually. He also didn't really want Lance to leave just yet.

Lance nodded thoughtfully before slowly leaning back against Shiro. "He's breathing on his own," Lance said quietly. It was a statement, but also a question. He wanted to make sure this wasn't a dream.

Shiro relaxed a little as Lance leaned back. "Yeah, he is," he said softly, barely audible. He was so fucking thankful.

"The antidote is working," Lance continued softly, not taking his eyes off Keith.

Shiro hummed. "It looks like it is," he agreed.

Murmurs. Faint words. A constant beep. Keith's brows pulled together. 

Kosmo's eyes snapped upward to Keith's face, yellow irises large and hopeful.

Lance sat up again quickly, noticing Keith's lips moving. Was he waking up?

Shiro's eyes widened. "Keith?" he asked quietly.

Keith's hand twitched. Did someone say his name? Why did he feel horrible? Was he still in the cell? Was he dying? He felt like it. 

Kosmo shuffled forward, lightly touching Keith's fingers with the tip of his nose.

Lance leaned forward as far as he dared, and wrapped his shaky hand over Keith's. "Keith?"

Shiro held his breath and waited for a response.

The sound of Lance's voice only made Keith more confused and concerned. Why was Lance in the cell? Did he get captured too? Was he in the cell? His eyelids fluttered. The only way he would know is if he opened his eyes but with the throbbing in his head and his general malaise, he didn't want to, but if Lance was with him...

Slowly, tired purple eyes appeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Lance gasped and scrambled to his feet, wincing as he pulled at his stitches in an attempt to get up quickly and not hurt Shiro in the process. His hand curled just a bit tighter around Keith's as he looked into his eyes.  _ There's my favorite color, _ he thought, a smile breaking out on his face as tears gathered in his eyes. "Keith?" He couldn't keep the giddy hope from his voice.

Shiro winced as Lance hit a tender spot in his scramble to stand, but was quickly on his feet next to him. "He's awake," he said in wonder. His eyes were open, hazy and confused but open. Thank the gods.

Keith's eyes made their way over to look at his two boyfriends, the movement lethargic. Shiro was here too. Here was a white room...was he in the hospital? Was he saved? 

Kosmo's tail started wagging, the wolf obviously happy that Keith was awake.

Lance let out a short laugh as a few tears slipped out. "Hey, sweetheart. Welcome back." Lance braced his other hand on the bed as he leaned over to press a kiss to Keith's forehead.

Shiro leaned over to rest a hand on Keith's leg, his two hands currently occupied with Lance and Kosmo. "We're so glad you're okay," he said quietly, squeezing lightly. He would get his chance to greet him properly later.

Keith looked up at Lance as the Cuban pulled away after giving him a kiss on the forehead. His heart gave a pang of pain as he took in the red eyes and the scratch marks. He looked like he'd been through hell and back and Keith wanted to do nothing but wrap his arms around him. 

His eyes moved to look at Shiro, frowning when he realized that he wasn't any better. 

How long was he out? Have they eaten? Slept? A million thoughts were running through his head. 

"'Ow L'ng?" He managed to mumble, nearly silent.

Shiro frowned. "You've been in medical for a couple of days. You were on your mission for four before we came and got you." Did Keith not remember any of the stuff before he was poisoned? That was... concerning, but maybe for the best. It may even come back later.

Lance looked from Shiro to Keith, but stayed silent.

Keith hummed. Vague memories of nurses and doctors were filtering as he woke up more. Lance crying. Both of them pleading for him to stay awake. Feeling something wet on his other hand, Keith's eyes shifted to meet a pair of bright yellow ones. "Hey boy," he said softly.

Kosmo yipped quietly, his tail wagging fast as he looked up at Keith in pure happiness. 

Keith couldn't stop the fond chuckle that came but winced as he coughed weakly. Apparently laughing of any sort was a no go right now.

Shiro grinned at Kosmo's reaction, softening as Keith winced from coughing. "They had to intubate you, so your throat will probably be rough for a few days," he warned.

Lance's smile dropped a little as Keith coughed and winced. He tried to remind himself that Keith was still okay. He couldn't expect him to be 100% right out of the gate. Not after...not after what had happened. Lance carded his fingers through Keith's hair. He was awake. He was getting better. This wasn't a dream.

Keith frowned at Shiro's statement but didn't give it much thought as Lance started to run his fingers through his hair. His eyes drifted towards the Cuban, his frown reappearing when he once again was reminded of what Lance and Shiro have gone through the past few days. 

Slowly, he lifted his hand away from Kosmo. It was arduous and his hand shook the whole time but he eventually cupped the side of Lance's face, thumb tenderly caressing the bruised skin.

Lance smiled softly and leaned into Keith's hand. There had been moments when he doubted. When he thought maybe he wouldn't ever feel that again. A few more tears escaped and rolled down his cheeks.

Shiro smiled as he watched the two of them. Lance had had such a difficult time seeing Keith like this, and while Shiro had as well he was glad Lance was getting the reassurance he needed.

Keith used his thumb to wipe the tears that he could. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly. He was on the mend, right? Did they know something that he didn't?

Lance let go of Keith's hand to reach up and curl his fingers around Keith's other one on his cheek. He swallowed thickly. "'Cause I'm happy," he said, still smiling softly. "'Cause I missed you." He ran his thumb across Keith's knuckles, turning slightly to press a kiss to his palm. "'Cause I love you," he mumbled against his skin.

Keith smiled fondly, a small blush appearing when he heard Lance's words. "Love you too." His eyes drifted towards Shiro. " _ Both _ of you," he added quietly as his throat started to ache from talking.

Shiro’s smile turned a little crooked as it widened. "Love you," he returned. He couldn't wait to take them home and never leave again.

Keith smiled as he slowly lowered his hand, his arm tired. His eyes started sliding shut, his body still worn and tired. His eyes drifted towards the curled up figure in the chair. "How long have they been here?" he asked, looking at Pidge.

Shiro looked back to where Pidge was curled up in the chair, their hand gripping the blanket tightly. "They came in after they finished in the lab. Half a day, probably." Shiro wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed, but he knew they had kept watch while he slept.

Keith frowned. "Should be sleeping in a bed, not a chair," he mumbled as he went back to looking at Lance and Shiro. He wanted to say the same to both of them but knew it would be a moot point. If he was in their position, he wouldn't have left the room for anything. He just hoped they ate and took care of each other while he was unconscious. He looked at Shiro, vaguely wondering why the man was so far away, so distant. He wanted to do nothing but be wrapped in his arms, in both of their arms to be exact. Curled up on a bed, no tubes, no injuries.

"They're probably used to it," Lance mused. "They spend more nights in the lab than in their room."

Shiro hummed his agreement. "The blanket is new, though." They usually just passed out wherever they could when they got a chance.

He reached for Keith's hand, gently bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.

Keith frowned at that information. He knew Pidge had a habit of working themselves to the point of exhaustion and he had no room to even start a conversation with them to change it but he hoped they had enough sense to sleep in a bed most nights. His train of thought was derailed as he felt Shiro take his hand, gently kissing it. Keith sent the older man a small smile. "When this mask can come off, I fully expect actual kisses from my boyfriends," he mumbled with a tired smirk.

Lance closed his eyes briefly, sending a few more tears trailing over his cheeks as his smile widened into a grin before sliding into a smirk of his own. "With pleasure." He added a wink for good measure. His heart bubbled with happiness. Things were starting to feel normal again.

Shiro nodded, a smile still stuck on his face. "Anything you want," he said sincerely. He couldn't wait for Keith to be discharged, but he knew how to be patient. He could wait until he was healthy enough. Maybe that would give him and Lance enough time to sort themselves out, too.

Keith's smirk smoothed out into a smile. His eyelids started to fall. "Want a day to lay in bed with both of you then too," he added, his words starting to slur a bit as he started to fall asleep once more. "And Cuba."

Shiro nodded. "We'll make it happen," he promised. He wasn't going to break this one.

Lance's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected Keith to remember that conversation. "I am totally up for both of those things," he said, watching as Keith's eyes started to close. Lance's smile wavered. He couldn't stop the way his heart sped up a bit at the sight, fear shooting through him. Keith was just tired. The antidote was working. He was okay. Keith would wake up again.

Shiro raised his other hand to rest gently on Lance's back, reassuring him.

Keith hummed, the vibration causing him to cough slightly. Kosmo whined, not liking the sound. The wolf gingerly pulled himself onto the bed and laid carefully upon it so his head could rest on Keith's stomach. 

Keith forced his eyes to open slightly, shooting his overprotective pup a small smile. Kosmo could be as bad as the other two at times but he wouldn't lie, he was thankful for the warmth that the wolf was giving off. 

"Get Pidge to an actual bed," Keith quietly requested, knowing he wasn't going to be awake much longer. He wanted to say more. Tell them to go eat; go sleep. But his throat felt like sandpaper right now. 

_ I'll tell them the next time I wake up, _ he thought as he drifted back to sleep.

Lance watched as Kosmo pulled himself carefully onto the bed and said his head gently on Keith's stomach. God, he wished that were him right now. But he was too afraid to hurt him. He would just have to be content to wait. He sniffled and removed his hand from Keith's hair, wiping the tears off his face with his sleeve. He turned slightly and reached out for Pidge stopping before he could reach them. He looked over at Shiro. "Think we could move them to my bed over there without waking them up?"

Shiro watched Keith drift off, Kosmo crawling up next to him, and wished that he were falling asleep in his arms. He missed Keith.

At Lance's question he looked over to see his outstretched hand. "I can try," he offered. He debated for a moment before picking them up, arm behind their back and under their knees. They grumbled slightly in his arms but didn't wake fully. He set them down gently and they snuggled into the pillow, murmuring nonsense as they fell back asleep.

Shiro turned back to Lance. "But that means you don't have a place to sleep now," he noted.

"I'll be fine," he said, turning back to Keith. He reached out to hold his hand again.

Kosmo peered up as Lance grasped Keith's hand before closing his eyes again, snuggling into Keith's stomach.

Shiro hummed and took his place in the chair again, watching Keith sleep. His chest rising and falling on it's own.

Oh gods, he'd almost lost him.

Shiro shut his eyes, trying to quietly cope with that fact.

Lance's knees gave out and he slid slowly to the ground, hand still not letting go of Keith's. He was shaking. He made a small noise like a whine in the back of his throat as relief washed through him, more tears flowing over. Apparently they'd replenished themselves overnight. He hung his head and closed his eyes. Keith was okay. Actually okay. He had woken up. Had talked with them. He was just sleeping now. He would wake up again. The nightmare was almost over. " _ Dios mio, _ " he sobbed quietly.

Shiro slid out of the chair and knelt on the floor, wrapping Lance in his arms. "Shh. It's okay," he murmured as he tried to comfort him.

Lance let go of Keith's hand, the cast tugging at something painfully in his wrist and wrapped arms around Shiro’s neck, burrowing his face into his shoulder. "I was so scared, Shiro," Lance sobbed, voice muffled by Shiro’s shirt.

Shiro kept making calming noises as he held Lance tightly to his body, feeling the same relief pouring over him but expressing it in a different way. "I know," he soothed. "I know, but he's okay now. He's going to be okay."

Lance tried to stop his body from shaking, but it only seemed to make it worse, so he resorted to holding Shiro as close as he could, ignoring the painful pulling in his shoulder. 

Gradually, he let Shiro calm him down, until the tears had slowed and he could breathe again. He still clutched tightly to Shiro's shirt and he still couldn't stop the shaking, but he was evening out. "I don't know what I would have done if...I'm so glad he's okay," Lance said quietly into Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro felt the damp spot growing on his shirt from Lance's tears but he didn't really care, knowing the other man needed to let it out. He didn't mind being the one who he trusted to let it out to. "I don't know either," he said truthfully as he held Lance while he shook with emotion. He started rubbing his hand over his back, trying to calm him. "But he's okay, so we don't need to think about that."

After a few moments, Lance spoke. "Right," Lance agreed quietly, like he was trying to reassure himself. "Right." He lifted himself from Shiro's shoulder, using his sleeve again to wipe the tears away. "The antidote is working. Keith is getting better," he tried, locking gazes with Shiro. He nodded firmly and blinked a few more tears away.

Shiro looked back into Lance's eyes and nodded. "He is," he agreed. "And soon we'll go home."

Lance gave Shiro a warm smile, feeling better now that he'd cried more and gotten that out of his system. "Home," he agreed. "That sounds nice." He had a thought. A beat later he adds seriously, his smile falling, "I don't think I'll be able to carry him this time." His lips twitched in amusement even as he tried to keep his facade.

Shiro chuckled a little. "I'll carry him for you," he offered quietly, smiling back.

Lance's lips twitched again. "You might have to carry me too, I don't think I can walk."

Shiro chuckled again. "I'm not sure I'm that strong, Lance. Might have to take you separately."

"I'm sure you can manage," Lance said, smiling. He would have thrown in a wink at that moment, maybe made a joke, but he wasn't quite there yet. The dark cloud was still too near. "But, uh..." His face fell, a quiet blush creeping over his face. "I was being serious. I don't think I can stand." His legs felt really weak, he was almost positive he'd fall right back to the ground if he tried to get up.

Shiro blinked in surprise. "Oh," he said simply. It made sense, but for some reason it was surprising. "Sure. I can carry you," he offered. "Where to?"

"Just," Lance started, looking around, "a chair is fine. And you really don't have to  _ carry _ me. I just need help walking. And standing." Lance sighed.

Shiro nodded, looking for the nearest chair. The one a few feet away was probably the best choice. "Ready?" he asked, hand out to help Lance.

Lance took Shiro's hand in both of his, not sure he should be pulling on either of his arms too much. Again.

Shiro looked at Lance, a little perplexed before he put his other hand on his waist, guiding him to stand. "Doc's gonna have to take a look at those arms," Shiro noted as he started guiding him over.

Lance let Shiro help him stand and over to the chair. He lowered himself slowly onto the cushion before letting go of his hand. "They're fine. I just...haven’t exactly been as careful as I think I should have, but I wasn't really thinking about it at the time," he said quietly. He knew he wasn't bleeding and that was all that mattered.

Shiro tsked at him. "Have to care for yourself before you can take care of others," he noted. Not that he was the best at doing that either, but.

Lance resisted the urge to roll his eyes. And there was Space Dad. He nodded instead, turning his gaze to Keith. As he watched his boyfriend sleep, his relief gave way to the bubbling anger he'd pushed down yesterday. Now that he knew that Keith was going to be okay, Lance could think about everything else that had happened. Like that racist bitch that had poisoned Keith and started all of this. He vaguely remembered someone saying she'd been detained and charged. The anger boiled more. Good, maybe he'd just find some time to go down there and have a few words with her himself. He glanced at Shiro. He'd have to get past him somehow. Shiro would never let him go, especially not hurt like he was. So tonight then, when they should all be asleep. He would sneak out and go give that asshole a piece of his mind. He looked back at Keith. Nobody hurt his boyfriend and got away with it. She would bleed.

Lance shook himself out of his thoughts and pushed the rage back down.  _ Later, _ he thought, closing his eyes and taking a slow deep breath. When he opened them again, he looked between the other occupants of the room before settling on Keith again. He didn't know what to say. Or do. The past couple of days had been such a whirlwind, that now that it was finally slowing, Lance wasn't sure what to do in the calm moments. He began to chew a bit on his lip for lack of something better to do as he watched his boyfriend breathe.

Shiro nodded back, settling down in his chair again and watching Keith as well.

A soft knock on the door made Kosmo lift his head from its makeshift pillow. The door slowly eased open, Mila's head popping in. "I'm not interrupting any reunions or anything am I?" she said with a kind smile.

Lance smiled tiredly at Mila. "No, he's sleeping again."

Mila walked fully into the room, pulling a cart behind her. It was loaded with sheets, new patient scrubs and bandages as well as a variety of other medical supplies. She had a remorseful look on her face. "I need to reapply his bandages," she explained. "He bled through them earlier and, in the chaos, we never changed his bedding or clothing either," she said, frowning before pointing at Kosmo. "One of you want to call off the attack dog?"

Shiro nodded in understanding. "Kosmo, come here," he spoke, quiet but with a note of authority in his voice that the wolf would hopefully follow. He knew he hated being away from Keith now that he was allowed near him.

Kosmo looked at Shiro before looking back at Keith for a moment before getting off of the bed. He slowly walked up to the other two.

Feeling the bed move, Keith's eyes slowly opened, a frown on his face when he saw Kosmo over by Shiro and Lance.  _ Traitor, _ he thought sleepily. 

Mila chuckled at Keith's expression, bringing his attention to her. "Glad to see you awake," she said sincerely. "It was scary there for a while."

Lance reached out as Kosmo came over, scratching behind the wolf's ear. He leaned forward when he saw Keith's eyes opening again.

Shiro also leaned down to give Kosmo a few pats as a reward. He hummed his agreement to Mila's statement. It really had been terrifying.

Mila gave Keith a gentle smile. "I need to change your bedding and clothes, and put bandages on your back," she explained. "Think you can sit up and we can move you to...there's someone in Lance's bed..." Mila trailed off, partly because she couldn't believe she missed that detail when she walked into the room.

Keith looked over at the snoozing Pidge. "They need the sleep," Keith explained.

Mila frowned. "I don't wanna wake them up but..."

"Any way we can do it without doing that?"

Mila sighed. "I can't call a tech in, security reasons but," she glanced at Shiro and Lance, " _ they _ can help...well, maybe Shiro can if you're up to it."

Shiro nodded and stood. "Sure thing. What do you need?"

Mila looked at Shiro and waved him over. "Think you can hold Keith?"

Keith frowned. "I can-"

"A soft wind could blow you over right now and, as the nurse, I'm telling you that you couldn't stand even if you wanted to," Mila said, cutting Keith off with a soft glare, daring him to argue.

Shiro chuckled a little. He didn't think he'd ever seen Keith so succinctly put in his place. "I can do that," he agreed. "How do you want me to...?" He didn't know where to put his hands that wouldn't hurt him. It seemed like he had wounds everywhere.

"Under the knee and shoulders should be good and shouldn't put any pressure on his back wounds," Mila said with a smile. "I just have to change the bedding and then you can put him back down."

Keith pouted, not that he would ever admit to doing so.  _ Don’t I get a say in this? _ he couldn't help but think.

Shiro nodded, moving over to the bed. "Okay?" he asked softly. He didn't want to move him if he objected to it.

Keith sighed. "Better than laying in my blood, I guess," he mumbled, resigning himself to his fate. 

Plus, it wasn’t like he loathed being in Shiro's arms.

Lance snorted at Mila's comment about the wind, remembering how he always said Keith weighed as much as a toothpick. Disappointment rushed through him slightly as Shiro stepped up to the bed to pick Keith up. It had been kind of a running joke for a while that that was Lance's thing. Anytime Keith got hurt, even just a little, if Lance was there, he'd pick Keith up on the spot just because he loved the reactions he got. Usually a fierce blush and a lot of protesting that was contradicted by the arms that would always wrap around his neck and the face buried into his shoulder. Later it just became a gut reaction. Keith got hurt, Lance carried him somewhere to get him fixed up.

He wished again that he wasn't injured. He wanted to hold Keith. Feel the weight and warmth in his arms and know he would be alright.  _ As soon as my arms are better, _ he vowed.  _ I'm gonna pick you up and never let go. _

Shiro positioned his hands where Mila told him, under Keith's knees and behind his shoulders, and lifted carefully to try and avoid hurting him. He stood fully and stepped back, giving Mila space to do what she needed. "Hey," he smiled down at Keith. "It's been a while. I'm just filling in for the guy who usually does this," he teased, looking to Lance. He hoped Lance didn't think Shiro was usurping his and Keith's thing.

Keith couldn't help but tense when Shiro picked him up, his arms coming up to wrap around Shiro's neck. He relaxed as Shiro spoke. A soft smile appeared, a fond chuckle emerging as he rested his temple against Shiro's shoulder. "Keep it up and I won't remember how to walk anymore." He joked, his purple eyes looking at Lance.

Mila smiled as she began peeling off the bloodsoaked sheets from Keith's bed. She had to admit, they were cute. All three of them.

Lance smiled up at Keith and shrugged.

Shiro chuckled. "Well, we can't have that," he joked lightly. "We'll have to teach you again."

Keith smirked behind his mask. "Why would I do that when I have two taxis at my beck and call?"

Mila chuckled under her breath as she grabbed the fitted sheet and pulled it over the mattress. She threw on two fresh pillows before looking back at Shiro. "All done. Set him down easy," she advised, lifting her hands, ready to help.

Lance made a face and tried not to smile. "A taxi? You think we're smelly and yellow?"

Keith chuckled softly. "Not what I meant," he reassured as he looked at Lance with a soft, tired look.

Shiro chuckled along with Keith, moving to set him down gently. "Well, I can give you a hover ride, but not a taxi," he said decidedly.

Keith rolled his eyes, mirth making them shine. "Details." 

Mila shook her head at the three as she changed her gloves and turned back to Keith. "Okay, time for the harder part, hun." She forewarned, helping Keith turn so his back was to her, "First though, shirt off," she said, slowly peeling off the blood soaked top, tossing it on to her cart before grabbing a tube of antibiotic cream. She started smearing it over the 6 red whip marks that marred Keith's back. Keith winced as she unintentionally pulled and prodded at the sensitive skin, his fingers curling into the sheets of his bed.

Lance reached out and took one of Keith's hands in his own, running his thumb soothingly over his knuckles. It was so good to see him up again. So good to see him not fading anymore.

Shiro made a sympathetic noise and laid a hand on his arm. He glanced back at the marks, frowning a little when he saw them. Those would definitely scar. "They're not as bad as they were," he murmured as he watched Mila work.

Mila nodded, focused on her task, trying to get done as quickly as possible. Feeling Keith's body slumping forward, she gently grasped his shoulders, her eyes looking up at Lance and Shiro. "Think you can hold him up?" she asked Shiro.

Keith's brows knitted together, his teeth gritted. His back was agony and his whole body felt like a noodle. He felt like a weakling. Couldn't even hold his body up.

Shiro nodded and adjusted, supporting Keith as Mila worked. "I haven't gotten to hold you much over the last few days, I'll take it where I can get it," he said lightly as he smiled sympathetically at Keith's wincing.

Keith winced as Mila continued to smear antibiotic cream over his wounds. He let his body lean into Shiro's, his forehead resting against Shiro's sternum, sighing softly as the cool cloth hit his heated skin.

Lance watched as Shiro supported Keith, wishing he could help. He mentally berated himself again for letting himself get shot. Things would be so much easier if he wasn't hurt too.

Shiro's heartbeat picked up a little as Keith relaxed into him. He missed this. It wasn't ideal, far from it, but he still missed it. He brought a hand up to play with Keith's hair as Mila worked.

Keith hummed softly, his eyes closing as Shiro ran his hand through his hair. A few weak coughs making his body jerk.

Mila frowned, pausing her actions until Keith stopped. She knew it was a normal response. He probably still had a bit of fluid in his lungs and they were damaged. His whole body probably didn't feel good.  _ Poor guy, _ she couldn't help but think as she resumed adding cream to the second to last whip mark.

Shiro frowned as Keith coughed a bit. He wanted to help, but the most he could do was this. Small as it was. "Almost done," he encouraged softly.

Keith nodded into Shiro's chest, the pain ramping up as Mila progressed. He tightened his grasp on Lance's hand as Mila smeared cream onto the last mark. It was like fire as her gloved finger ran across the inflamed wounds. It was almost on par to when he received the injury.

Lance gave Keith a sympathetic look as he squeezed his hands. He couldn't imagine how much that hurt. It looked like Mila would be done soon though.

Shiro made soft sounds to try and calm Keith as Mila finished up.

Keith grimaced as Mila smoothed the last bit of antibiotic cream on his back. She leaned back and grabbed the small pile of square gauze and began placing them on the red, angry wounds. Next was a roll of bandages, and it was a bit of a reach, but she managed to wrap it around Keith's torso. 

She smiled at her work as she peeled off her gloves. "You okay?" she asked softly even though she knew he was anything but. Touching those injuries would be nothing short of agony for a while. 

Keith managed to nod into Shiro's chest. Beside him, Kosmo peered up and whined, obviously not liking that Keith was in pain once more.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand again reassuringly.

Keith squeezed Lance's hand back. He tried to breathe through the pain as Mila eased him away from Shiro's chest. Slowly and gingerly, she pulled the mint scrub top on him, muttering apologies each time Keith winced or whimpered.

Shiro felt a sense of loss as Keith was led away from him to be dressed again. He winced as Keith did. "It'll be better in the long run," he murmured as he reassured himself. "You'll heal faster."

Keith nodded, knowing that was the truth but sadly it didn't stop the pain. His back muscles spasmed from them being tensed for so long. Mila frowned, rubbing Keith's shoulder comfortably. "Sorry hun, I know that wasn't the best experience," she said. 

Keith nodded but leaned forward once more, resting his head against Shiro's sternum again, seeking comfort as he gave another squeeze to Lance's hand. He wanted his mates. His bed. This never ending nightmare to be over with. 

Mila gave Keith a sad smile, her heart going out to the young man before glancing at Lance. "While I'm here, I should check and do your bandages too mister," she said. "Sit next to Keith. I can do it there so we don't bother Pidge."

Lance wished again that it was him on that bed instead of Keith. He wished he could take away the pain. Lance squeezed Keith's hand again before looking over at Mila. 

"Alright," he said standing slowly, not sure how well his legs were working. They were mostly steady as Lance crossed the very short distance to the bed, sitting down on the side next to Keith. "Hey, babe." Lance shot Keith a smile and gently nudged his arm with his own, turning his hand to link their fingers together.

Shiro put his hand on the back of Keith's head as he rested it back on his chest, playing with the soft hair there. He didn't hold tight in case he wanted to break free to talk to Lance or Mila, but wanted to hold him close again, if he could.

Keith's muscles relaxed minutely under Shiro's touch. Hearing Lance's voice, he turned his head to look at his younger mate but kept close to Shiro. Behind him, he could hear Mila pulling on a pair of gloves and getting everything set up to change Lance's bandages. "Hi." Keith croaked back, a tired smile on his lips as he squeezed Lance's hand.

Mila wheeled the cart around the bed so she stood in front of Lance. She grabbed onto the bottom of Lance's shirt. "Let's get this off," she said. "Then we can change your bandages."

Shiro's eyes glanced up in interest, not sure he'd seen the full extent of Lance's injuries.

Lance nodded and squeezed Keith's hand again before letting go so he could reach up with his cast hand and grab the back neck of his shirt, pulling it over his head and settling it into his lap. He glanced briefly in Shiro's direction, seeing the other man watching and wondering about the attention.

Carefully, Mila began peeling away the bandages, starting with the shoulder wound. Keith's eyes were trained on Mila’s hands as she took the bandages off of Lance's shoulder. Gingerly, she prodded it and checked it over, nodding. "Well, you didn't tear it open or anything," she muttered. "Although, it does look a bit inflamed. I thought I told you to take it easy and to use the sling if it starts hurting?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked up at Lance's face as she continued to check the wound.

"I-"  _ I wanted it to hurt at the time, _ he thought, but he knew he couldn't say that. "It didn't hurt much," he ended up saying, shrugging his good shoulder. He kept his eyes trained on his lap.

Shiro frowned a little. He could tell Lance wasn't telling the whole truth, but wasn't about to rat him out.

Mila frowned. "You aren't doing yourself or anybody else any favors if you don't let yourself heal, hun," she said quietly as she placed some antibiotic cream onto Lance's shoulder. "I know you were worried about Keith, but-" She glanced at the man in question, the man’s cheek pillowed against Shiro's chest while his purple eyes - dimmed with exhaustion, pain, and guilt - were trained on Lance's shoulder. She reached behind her to grab a piece of gauze. "Both of you need to rest, not just for yourself but for everyone who is worried about you," she said softly as she began rebandaging the gunshot.

Lance swallowed and nodded. "Sorry, Mila," he said quietly. "It-" Once again Lance stopped himself. He couldn't promise that it wouldn't happen again. He knew what he was planning to do that night and there was a chance he could be coming back worse. "I'll try to be more careful."  _ That's the best I can do, Mila. I'm sorry, but she needs to pay for what she's done and I'm not going to let some stitches slow me down. _

Mila paused, looking at Lance's face before sighing softly. "I guess that's the best I can expect from you guys," she said. "This one is probably going to try training within a week," she tried to joke as she gestured towards Keith as she applied tape to secure the bandage to Lance's shoulder.

Lance snorted, a small smile on his lips.

Shiro snorted as well. Mila was absolutely right. "Don't worry. We'll keep him contained." He looked fondly down at the man resting against him. Lance's phrasing bothered him. He would have to keep a close eye on him, if he could.

Keith grumbled under his breath.  _ Contain me, _ he thought as he leaned a bit more into Shiro, a frown pulling his lips downward.

Mila chuckled as she began peeling back the large bandage on Lance's side, her expression shifting quickly as she saw the redness of the wound. "You don't listen to direction well do you?"

Keith's frown deepened at the tone Mila used. It was angry but also tinged with sadness.

Lance hissed as Mila took off the bandage at his side. He knew he'd pulled on that one a lot more than his shoulder and wasn't surprised to see how red it was when he glanced. He winced at Mila's tone and forced a short laugh. "I mean, it's me," he started. He was going for light and teasing, but his voice fell just a little flat. "Are you really surprised?"

Mila let out a soft breath. "No, but I was hopeful," she said as she began smearing antibiotic cream onto the wound. "You have to take care of yourself, too," she added softly. "If not for yourself, then for him," she said, looking towards Keith briefly before adding more cream. 

Keith looked at Mila, a soft blush appearing on his already fever flushed cheeks at Mila's words.

Lance glanced at Keith, noticing the blush and smiled. "Yeah, you're right."

Mila smirked. "I usually am," she quipped before reaching for some gauze and starting to place it on the wound. 

Keith frowned. Lance should be taking care of himself for himself. Not for Keith. That didn't make sense.

Shiro felt shame pool deep in his gut. He should have watched out for Lance, kept him from injuring himself further. Instead he just let him move more than he should have and this was the result.

He breathed out a sigh, playing with Keith's hair absentmindedly. He was musing on what he could have done differently, if anything.

Keith let out a soft sigh, the mask fogging as he did, when he felt Shiro's hand start playing with his hair. 

Mila continued to rewrap Lance's waist. "Take it easy with your side. I really don't want to tell Sorey he has to restitch you, hun."

Lance nodded, but didn't say anything. He wasn't about to make a promise he wasn't sure he could keep.

Shiro nodded in agreement. "You don't want to experience that without anesthesia," he chimed in. That had hurt like a bitch, even if it had been his fault for ignoring medical advice.

Keith hummed in agreement with Shiro, squeezing Lance's hand. Keith already felt bad that Lance was hurt in the first place, he didn't want to watch him get stitches. 

Mila peeled off her gloves and gave the three of them a smile as she cleaned up. "I'll tell Sorey to come in while Keith is awake to talk to you about the feeding tube and treatment plan," she said. "Did you guys need anything else?"

Lance shook his head, answering for himself then looked at Keith and Shiro.

Shiro shook his head and smiled. "I'm okay. Thank you, Mila."

Keith merely hummed, content where he was - although the idea of getting the stupid feeding tube out of his nose was a wonderful idea. 

Mila nodded. "Maybe lay him down before he falls asleep on you," she whispered to Shiro before heading out the door with a "Sorey will be in soon" over her shoulder. 

Keith grumbled at the idea of laying down however. He was comfortable where he was. All that was missing was Lance cuddled up into his side but he knew that wasn't going to happen with how injured they were.

Lance stared down at the shirt still in his hands and sighed. This was probably going to be interesting. He threaded his right arm gently through the arm hole and tugged at the shirt with his left hand trying to pull it over his head. He managed to get it almost over his head, but got stuck somehow. He groaned a bit in frustration. "Shiro? Help?" he whined sadly.

Shiro chuckled quietly. "Sure thing. Keith, mind if I help your boyfriend get dressed?" His voice was laced with amusement as he started contemplating the logistics of laying Keith down next to him. "I'll come right back after."

Keith's lips quirked upward at the sight of Lance getting stuck in his shirt, a warm fondness coursing through his body. Slowly, Keith pushed himself away from Shiro, wordlessly telling him it was okay to help Lance. 

Hearing a quiet bark, Keith's eyes shifted to Kosmo, the wolf peering up at him from beside the bed. Keith gave his faithful watcher a small smile. With a shaky hand, he laid it on Kosmo's muzzle, the wolf leaning into the touch and his tail began to wag.

Shiro nodded as Keith pushed him away, helping him lay down gently before moving over toward Lance. He contemplated for a moment, figuring out how to best make it work before grabbing a hem and tugging in the right direction, shirt falling down in place around his body. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" His voice held a small measure of concern - he wouldn't hurt himself so soon after being lectured, right?

"No." Lance huffed a laugh. "I'm not  _ that _ dumb." He turned his face up to look at Shiro before smiling. "Thanks, Shiro."

Shiro had started leaning down to press a kiss to the top of Lance's head before he froze in his tracks.  _ You can't do that, _ he reminded himself. He switched tack and rearranged the shirt better on Lance's frame, making sure the tag was tucked in. "No problem."

Lance's eyes widened minutely as Shiro leaned forward, a blush settling on his cheeks as he waited for  _ something  _ that never happened. Lance looked down and frowned slightly when Shiro pulled back, moving to straighten Lance's shirt. He couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that Shiro had moved away.  _ He's doing it again, pulling away from me... _ But Shiro had wanted to do something, right? He wouldn't have leaned forward otherwise, right? Shiro had to know Lance was fine with it by now, right?  _ I literally slept in his arms last night. _ Lance wanted to ask, but knew it wasn't the time. Soon, though. When this was all over.

Keith watched the interaction between Lance and Shiro with a small smirk. He knew - felt - something shifting between the two and he only hoped that it would bring stability to all of their relationships. Plus if anything happened to him, they would have each other. If this situation taught him anything it was his own mortality and apparently he wasn't safe even in his own home. He knew people who were racist against Galrans were around. Racists were always around, it was a sad part of life. Jabs and hurtful words were common throughout his day and he dealt with it with a hard shell and the comfort that he had two wonderful men to go home to every night. He never fathomed though that he would be brought to death's door on the Atlas. 

Looking at his two mates, he smiled softly. He loved them and was thankful for them every single day. And if they could also find comfort in each other's arms, find love with each other, if the day came that he had to say goodbye to them...he would go knowing that they would find the strength to continue with each other.

Shiro sat on the bed next to Lance, closer than he probably normally would have in the past as his heart pounded. He reached for Keith's free hand. "You want to get some rest before Sorey comes in? I can dim the lights or something..."

Keith shook his head, both to answer Shiro's question and to dislodge the thoughts in his head. "Think I slept enough for a while," he mumbled quietly. "Just want these fucking tubes gone."

Lance turned to look at Keith, brushing arms with Shiro as he moved. He brought his hand up to card softly through Keith's hair. "Me too. Can’t exactly kiss you very well like this, can I." Lance joked, winking at Keith and poking his cheek gently before going back to playing with his hair.

Shiro shook his head lightly, clearing it. Right. Lance and Keith. Lance only wanted to date one person, and that was Keith. He didn't... he shouldn't...

Shiro pulled away from Lance's arm slightly, trying to shield himself emotionally from the likely impending reaction. "You can kiss him, he just can't kiss back," Shiro noted.

Keith looked at his mates with a deadpan look, especially when Lance poked him in his cheek. 

The door eased open and Sorey entered the room with a small smile. "Hello gentlemen. Glad to see you awake, Keith. Gave us all quite a scare."

Lance frowned again slightly as he felt Shiro pull away from him again.  _ What the heck? _ When Sorey walked in he schooled his features back into a neutral look before smiling and turning to look at the doctor. "Hey, Sorey."

Shiro turned, a neutral look on his face. "Doctor," he greeted quietly, moving himself from the bed to the chair again. Sorey would probably need space to examine Keith and Lance.

Sorey sent both Shiro and Lance a smile before focusing back on Keith. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he began checking Keith's vitals. 

Keith frowned as once more hands were touching him. He was getting tired of all of this attention. "Fine,"he muttered. 

Sorey hummed as he registered Keith's fever - 102.5. It was lowering but was still there. "Well, did Shiro or Lance tell you anything about what happened?"

Keith shook his head. "Something about poison?"

Sorey nodded. "Yes, a nurse gave you fentanyl, a pain medication that is toxic to Galrans." He started to explain. "We sadly thought the beginning symptoms of the toxin was your infection of your wounds that you came in with exasperated by your overworked body. It wasn't until you went into cardiac arrest that we realized that something else was going on." He continued.

Keith nodded. He vaguely remembered that. Coughing up blood. Vomiting it. Feeling as if he was drowning before being encompassed by darkness.

"Now, after that, even though we stopped the addition of more toxins, your body was too weak to fight off the remaining fentanyl in your system but, and it’s our fault, we didn't have an antidote for your hybrid blood."

Keith looked at the doctor, confused slightly as Sorey's wording.

"Our medical wing is established to help most species but specifically humans and Galrans as those two species are the two that enter the wing most often but we forgot about hybrids, or better wording, you." Sorey admitted.

"Oh." Keith said quietly, not sure what to say. How does one respond to being forgotten?  _ Should be used to it, _ he thought.

Sorey cleared his throat. "The toxins continued to attack your body as we tried to find an antidote for you and you went through renal, respiratory and cardiovascular failure. You were placed on a ventilator when you could no longer take in enough oxygen to stay conscious." He continued. "We ran some tests while you were unconscious but after you got the antidote to see how far your system failures progressed and while it could've been worse, it could've been better as well."

Lance paled as Sorey explained everything that had happened to Keith, his gut clenching in fear as his mind re-lived all of it. He could feel his heartbeat pick up and he swallowed, managing to keep his shakiness from his breathing. He returned the hand that was in Keith's hair to his lap before his body could betray him, clenching his fingers together.

Shiro clenched his jaw as he listened, trying to contain himself. His left hand clenched into a fist in his lap as well. Keith had been his responsibility and he'd let him down. Made it so he had to be intubated to buy time until Pidge and Coran figured something out. He cleared his throat. "But most of it can be fixed, right? With time?"

Sorey let out a soft sigh. "We hope."

Keith's heart clenched at the tone. Hope wasn't a word he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear definities, not possibilities. 

"The damage to your lungs and heart were extensive. While your O2 stats are improving, they aren't improving quite as quickly as we hoped. We don't foresee major lifestyle changes for you but you will probably feel the effects of this for the rest of your life." Sorey explained with a heavy heart. 

Keith closed his eyes, trying to quell the anger that was growing in him. It was tinged with sadness and anguish. All of this because his mother was Galran? Hasn't life dealt him enough shitty cards? Why can he never be happy?

Shiro shut his eyes. That hadn't been what he wanted to hear. "We're going to find a way to make the best of it that we can, Keith." He opened his eyes, determination burning in them. "I promise. You're not going to feel like you're missing out on anything."

A pit formed in Lance's stomach as Sorey spoke.  _ For the rest of his life? _ That wasn't fair. Keith had done nothing and yet...Lance bristled. He was having a hard time keeping his anger down. He kept the rage from his face but his hands were no longer shaking from fear. He couldn't wait for tonight. It couldn't come soon enough.

Sorey let out a long exhale. "We don't know how...or what will need to be changed in your daily life until you heal and your stats level out more," he explained. "For now however, due to the renal failure, dialysis is in your future until your kidneys can work well enough. The damage wasn't too bad so I only foresee maybe a cycle or two before we're done with that. You're probably going to be on oxygen and on bed rest until further notice. We can't stress out your lungs or heart," he said.

Keith licked his lips, his thumb worrying against his skin as his anxiety started to ramp up. "What...is the worst case scenario?" he asked softly.

Sorey frowned. "Worse case? Oxygen tank for the rest of your life," Sorey said bluntly, "but we don't see that happening, Keith. Your lungs and heart  _ are _ improving, but going through what you did doesn't leave anyone unscathed."

Shiro's eyes flicked down to Keith's hand, watching it worry the skin with his thumb. He detached his right arm and floated it over to take his hand carefully in his own. "Could we do some sort of transplant? Clone specific organs and use those?" He thought he'd heard of some experimental options doing that.

Lance just stared, listening to Sorey and Shiro. He didn't know what to do...or say. He noticed Keith's thumb running over his fingers, but then Shiro's hand was there.  _ Good. _

Keith latched onto Shiro's hand. He didn't want to burden them. Limit them in anyway. What if he needed an oxygen tank? What if he couldn't be a part of Voltron anymore? What if he couldn't fly anymore?

"If it was worst case scenario, maybe," Sorey replied, "but in my medical opinion, Keith is healthy...well, healthy-ish, we all know we wanted him to eat a few more cheeseburgers," he said, smirking before sobering once more. "He's young. He will bounce back fairly well but I also don't want you blindsided by the long term side effects of this. What I'm hoping at the end of this, you might need an inhaler," he said. "Again, in my medical opinion, you will probably experience shortness of breath quicker. You'll get tired faster and your immune system isn't going to be like it was and illnesses will be often and more serious than they were in the past," he said seriously.

Keith swallowed, trying to remain calm and not freak out. He kept his eyes closed, trying to keep his breathing slow and even. He didn't need to freak out right now. That would only stress out Lance and Shiro right now and that was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

Shiro frowned and squeezed Keith's hand. "We'll just have a little more vitamin c and wear masks when we're sick. And take breaks, for once." The last bit was teasing; Keith had never liked to take breaks before. Still probably didn't. "And an inhaler isn't bad, overall."

Lance finally willed himself to move, placing a hand on Keith's arm and gently rubbing up and down in a soothing gesture. Lance snorted at the break comment from Shiro, finding it in him to react to the teasing. Like Keith would ever want to take a break. Maybe he really would just lay on Keith just to make him stop moving for a while. He looked over at Kosmo. He was sure the wolf would join him if need be.

Keith frowned at what Shiro said, frowning deeper at the break comment. 

Sorey smiled softly, "Exactly. Small changes but nothing horrible," Sorey reassured. 

"Still hassles though," Keith muttered before he could stop himself.

Shiro shook his head. "Not a hassle. Just a change. They  _ will _ happen throughout our lives. My knees are shit already, so we'll eventually have to take less walks. I have a genetic history of heart problems which will slow me down. It's not just you, and none of these things are troublesome." He smiled softly. "They're just life."

He squeezed Keith's hand gently once more.

Lance took in a breath and forced a smile onto his face, letting a joking tone into his voice. "It's okay, I'll stay spry enough for both of you." He winked at both of them.

Sorey lightly patted Keith's knee. "The Commander is right, Keith. Eventually, you'll probably have to make sure both of these men take all of their medication and keep the pounds off," he said with a smirk. "It’s part of growing older and it's inevitable," he reassured.

Keith nodded.  _ An oxygen tank is different from a pill a day, _ he thought with a frown.

"Any other questions?" he asked.

"When can this tube be taken out?" he asked, gesturing towards his nose.

"When you can take in solid food," Sorey answered. "We'll give it a try with broth in the morning," he said with a small smile. "Your body needs to get reacquainted with solids as it's been awhile since you've eaten and you'll probably be put on a high calorie diet to recoup the pounds you lost."

Shiro snorted at Lance before the mood turned serious again. He nodded at the instructions for when the tube could be taken out. "We'll graze on it so it doesn't tax your stomach," Shiro reassured him. He didn't like to eat at the best of times, and being told to definitely wouldn't help.

Keith sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned against the bed.  _ Can I ever catch a break? _ he thought sadly. Kosmo whined quietly from where he stood, leaning forward to press his nose against Keith's hand. 

Sorey gave Keith a small sad smile even though the young man couldn't see it. "I'll leave you three alone for a bit, I'm sure you guys want to rest and calm down after all of this. Have a good day, gentlemen." He said before departing.

"Night, Sorey." Lance called after the doctor, a bit absently.

Shiro nodded. "Thank you," he called after Lance.

Once Sorey was gone he sagged a little more fully back into the chair, able to relax and show his weariness a bit more. Even if he had slept earlier, that conversation had been tiring.

Lance looked over at Shiro. He looked really tired. Lance certainly understood that. He offered the older man a small reassuring smile.

Keith eased his eyes open. He looked over at his mates, a frown pulling his lips downward. They looked exhausted. 

Kosmo walked over to Shiro, gently placing his head in the man's lap. Keith smiled tiredly at the action. Even he could admit it was cute.

Shiro's eyes opened from where they had slid shut at the weight on his lap. He looked down to find Kosmo's huge eyes looking up at him. "Hey boy," Shiro murmured as he brought his left hand up to scratch along the wolf's head. He looked up and caught both Lance and Keith's eyes with his own, small smile still on his face before he looked back to Kosmo. "Soon we can go home," he murmured. "And then you'll get all the cuddles you want, pup."

Kosmo barked as if he understood, his tail wagging. Keith's smile turned fond before his eyes shifted towards Lance. "You two can go back home..." he said softly, not wanting them to go but also wanting them to be comfortable and get the rest they deserve.

Lance shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I mean, technically I haven't been cleared to leave yet anyway and Mila’s mad enough at me already."

Shiro hummed his agreement, squeezing Keith's hand. "I'm not leaving either of you," he said quietly, looking between the two of them. "I'd be a wreck even if I did go home."

Lance's heart fluttered when Shiro included him and he smiled again turning to Keith. "Looks like you're stuck with us."

Keith chuckled, though it fell a bit flat. "I am so heartbroken at that fact," he said sarcastically before turning serious. "You two deserve a good night's sleep not in chairs," he muttered.

Shiro frowned. "Slept in worse spots," he countered. Actually, he'd slept pretty well with Lance last night.  _ Oh, definitely don't say that out loud. _ He flushed a little red. 

"We can take the other bed once Pidge wakes up," he countered.

Keith glanced at the sleeping paladin in the opposite bed, slightly surprised that they were still asleep. Keith hummed, his eyes slipping shut momentarily before easing back open. "Tell me you two have at least eaten," he asked quietly, his eyes closing again.

Pidge snorted slightly, turning over in their sleep.

Shiro nodded. "I brought dinner in last night from the mess hall." Not that Lance had eaten much, and Shiro would be making him eat more later, but it almost counted.

Lance nodded. He hadn't eaten a whole lot, it was barely more than a snack, but Keith didn't need to know that. Regardless, he should probably eat more now that his appetite was kind of coming back.

Keith hummed, happy that they were at least taking care of themselves somewhat. He forced his eyes back open and looked at them. He knew he probably wasn't looking the best either, he certainly felt like he looked horrible. He didn't know what to say or do. He wanted to be close to them, curl into their sides and sleep until he awoke in their bed; healed and no longer in pain. He was over feeling tired and wearing a mask to simply breath and having a tube down his nose to eat. 

And quite frankly, Keith just wanted a shower. To have Lance run his hands through his hair again and braid it while all three of them talked in the living room of Shiro's room. He wanted normalcy. But he knew that that wasn't going to happen for a while. One doesn't recover from organ failure in a day, even Keith realized that. 

His eyes shifted towards Pidge, a thought occurred to him at the sight of them. "Did anyone tell my mom about this?" he asked quietly, curious.

Shiro hummed, content as Keith closed his eyes for a moment. He needed him to rest, to bounce back to normal, to stop from worrying them so much. But that would happen in due time.

Oh, Krolia. "We contacted the Blades for help with the antidote, so I imagine she's aware," Shiro murmured. "Not a whole lot of human Galran hybrids on the ship."

Keith frowned. He hated bugging his mom. He knew that it was probably warranted this time. He did technically die but her work with the Blades was important and she should be focused on that. Keith sighed softly.

Shiro's frown mirrored Keith's. "She would have wanted to know," he said very softly.

Lance nodded again and squeezed Keith's arm lightly. "Shiro's right. She’s your mom first, you know."

"I know," Keith replied quietly. Kosmo lifted his head from Shiro's lap, walking back to Keith's bed. Keith gave his wolf a small smile before continuing. "Just...didn't want to bother her," he muttered, not sure if that was the correct way to word his feelings but didn't know any other way to put it. He knew she should've been notified. He was poisoned and was dying, she had every right to know that about her only son but it still felt weird that there was someone to notify and a small part of him, one that he actively tries to ignore, worries that eventually she'll grow tired of him and of him bothering her and leave him once more.

"Trust me, it's not a bother. If your mom is anything like my mom, the sooner she knows the better, otherwise you get yelled at. And somehow that is always worse than whatever happened in the first place," Lance said furrowing his brow as memories of incidents when he was a kid played in his mind. He shook his head, trying to get the thoughts from his mind.

Shiro thought back to his own parents, memories flashing in front of him. "Yeah, it's usually easier if they know," he agreed. How many times had his mother punished him for not telling her about things at school.

Keith's lips twitched upward, his smile tinged with a hint of sadness. It’d been a tough battle and sometimes battles were lost, but he tried desperately not to feel envious of the others and the childhood that he missed. A mother that worried for you, cared for you. It was something so foreign to him that now that he had one, it was so unusual that it felt wrong and awkward at times. 

His eyes fluttered shut once more. Kosmo carefully pulled himself up onto Keith's bed, resting gingerly on Keith's legs and resting his chin on Keith's stomach. Exhaustion was pulling Keith down back into slumber again. "Sounds nice," he mumbled, referring to their parents fussing over them.

"Yeah," Lance said quietly, still thinking of his mother. He missed her. He'd gotten to see her not that long ago when they returned to Earth, but it wasn't long enough before they were back in space again. At least she knew he hadn't run away, that he was safe. Well, as safe as anyone could be as a Paladin of Voltron fighting in an intergalactic war. At least she knew he loved her.

Shiro smiled as Keith grew sleepy again. "You'll find out," he reassured. Neither Keith nor Krolia were going anywhere anytime soon. His hand floated up to pet Keith's hair. "Just rest for now, okay?"

Keith hummed, his body slowly relaxing as he drifted back into sleep, his body desperate for the rest.

Shiro continued petting Keith's hair, lulling him to sleep. He knew he'd have to reattach his arm soon, it was going to run out of power, but he didn't want to just yet.

Lance pulled his hand back into his lap after he noticed Keith was asleep. He watched as Shiro continued petting Keith's hair, remembering how it felt when it was him. No wonder Keith looked so peaceful. Lance's lips curled into a soft smile. He couldn't wait until they could all go home. He was going to cuddle the shit out of both of them and probably never let go. He glanced over at Shiro.  _ Soon _ , he thought,  _ after Laogai. Then I'll tell him. _ Hopefully it would all work out.

Shiro waited until the warning light on the attachment point of his arm started flashing to bring it back and reattach it. Thankfully by then Keith was pretty deeply asleep. Shiro sighed, tired even though they'd just rested and hadn't done anything strenuous. He looked back over to Lance, who was looking at him with a soft smile on his face. Shiro's heart fluttered a bit despite himself. He looked so soft. Shiro wanted to hold him again. He felt a pang that he couldn't ask for that again.

Meeting Shiro's eye, a small blush formed over his nose and he looked away, slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and glanced quickly at Shiro again, and seeing him still looking at him, turned his gaze to Keith. "So."

"So," Shiro repeated, voice fond and slightly amused. Lance looked a little flustered. "We should get you something to eat, since we told Keith you'd eaten."

"Yeah, okay." Lance nodded. "Yeah, I could probably eat now. I'm feeling better."  _ Now that I know Keith is going to be okay. _

Shiro nodded, standing and moving over to the bed Pidge was resting on and touching their shoulder. They grumbled at him but cracked an eye open. "Breakfast," Shiro said succinctly and they groaned but sat up, pushing their glasses into place.

"Morning, Pigeon," Lance greeted, smiling at them.

Pidge mumbled again but looked a bit more awake. "When did I get on the bed..." they asked, confused.

As Shiro went to open his mouth he heard a knock on the door.

Sorey slowly opened the door, a soft smile on his face. He eased the door shut behind him so it didn't make a loud noise. "Afternoon," he said in greeting, "Everyone doing okay?"

Lance turned to look at the door, hearing the knock. He nodded and smiled. "I think so. Thanks, doc."

Shiro nodded. "Keith was awake, but he just went back to sleep."

Sorey nodded. "Good. Resting is the best thing he can do right now," he said before heading towards Lance. "But I'm not here for him for once, I'm here for Lance actually."

Lance's eyebrows shot up further on his forehead, before furrowing in confusion. "Me? Mila already checked my stitches and changed my bandages."

Shiro tilted his head in confusion. "Concussion protocol?" He hazarded a guess. Pidge hummed their agreement with his guess.

Lance looked over at Shiro, then back at Sorey. "Oh, okay,"

Sorey nodded. "Yes, even though you've snuck out of your room and into Keith's and went against everything your doctors and nurses have told you to do, we're still gonna have to officially discharge you," he said, smirking as he took out his light pen. "Ready?"

Lance blushed and looked away, accidentally meeting Shiro's gaze, which only made him blush harder. He turned back to Sorey, swallowing. "Uh huh."

Shiro locked eyes with Lance as he looked away, the man looking startled and flushing farther before he quickly looked away. Shiro chuckled a little to himself, but he couldn't deny that his ears were a little warm too since Lance caught him staring. Pidge snorted a laugh. "Obvious," they chided. Shiro elbowed them a little.

Sorey mentally rolled his eyes but leaned down and turned his pen light on. "Follow the light with your eyes," he instructed as he started to move the light in various directions.

Once he saw that Lance's pupils reacted well and they moved fluidly, he put his pen light away. "Okay. Question time. Name?"

"Lance McClain."

"Where are you right now?"

"Med bay, on the Atlas."

"Their name?" he asked, pointing towards Pidge.

"Pidge Holt," he answered, shooting a glance at the green paladin. He knew they didn't really like Katie.

Pidge nodded approvingly at Lance's name change.

Sorey nodded. "Any memory lapses within the past 24 hours?" he asked. "Did you forget anyone’s name? Like his or his?" he added gesturing towards Shiro and Keith. "Forgot what happened to either you or him?"

Lance thought back over the last day and his face fell. No. No, he remembered every bit of that nightmare. "No." His voice was barely louder than a whisper. He looked over at Keith and clenched his jaw as he swallowed and blinked away tears.

Shiro felt a pang of sympathy for Lance. It had been a hell of a day, he was surprised he hadn't broken down more than he had.

Sorey nodded. "Okay. You're good to go. Still take it easy. If you get a headache or start experiencing lapses in consciousness please get one of us. I'll get the paperwork processed but you're discharged." He paused slightly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Now speaking to you as a friend as well as a doctor, what you went through was hard and obviously a lot to process. If I were you two, I would suggest booking an appointment with an on-board therapist, at least once. I'm going to suggest the same to Keith once he gets a bit stronger," he said softly.

Lance nodded, barely hearing Sorey's words, but somehow knowing they required a response of some kind. He sniffled a bit and let the air out through his mouth. His mind was still replaying moments from yesterday. He couldn't get it to stop. Keith throwing up blood. The sound of the ventilator. The wounds on Keith's back. Laogai. The poison. Flat line. He took in a shuddering breath and he felt a few tears spill over.

Shiro looked a little alarmed and moved over to Lance, wrapping his left arm around his shoulders. "Hey, it's okay. It's over now." He agreed with Sorey, and this was proof.

Lance jumped at the contact and turned to look at Shiro, eyes wide. He blinked a few times, focusing on his face as a few more tears escaped. He swallowed and nodded before taking a deep breath and leaning into Shiro, closing his eyes.

Sorey let out a soft breath and knelt down in front of Lance. He gently placed a hand on Lance's knee. "I know this is a hard topic but it also needs to be talked about. Each of you individually need to talk about this and let it out and not let it fester within you. But right now, the most important thing is keeping yourself healthy and that Keith is improving. He's breathing on his own. His fever is lowering and before you know it, you'll be tackling him to keep him out of the training room," he said with a small chuckle, "and yelling at him to eat and sleep more like you always do."

Lance looked at Sorey as he spoke, but stayed with his head against Shiro. A small smile broke out at his last comment and he huffed a quiet laugh through his nose before nodding. "Yeah," he muttered quietly. "Yeah."

Shiro let Lance take what comfort he needed from him, resting his head lightly on Lance's in return. He nodded when Sorey said he'd be back to normal soon. "But yeah, we do need to talk to someone," he agreed. He already did but all of them needed to.

"It doesn't have to be today but soon," Sorey said softly, "but I don't want yours, the Commanders or Keith's health suffering because you all are holding this inside. What happened was horrible and shouldn't have happened, especially in a place that is your home away from Earth. What happened to Keith is going to affect you three for the rest of your lives, there's nothing stopping that sadly, we just don't know how severely. All of that needs to be vented."

Lance nodded again and pushed further into Shiro as a stray tear fell. "Okay," he said, voice still soft. "I will." He wasn't sure how he felt about talking to a stranger about personal things, but he knew Shiro did it and he knew Sorey wouldn't suggest it if he didn't think it was a good idea, so he would. He'd try at least.

Shiro nodded, leaning his head down to rest his lips against the crown of Lance's head. It would be so easy, but he shouldn't. It'd be taking advantage of him. "They have a good therapy team on board," he murmured.

Sorey nodded, standing up. "It's going to take time to heal from this, for everyone involved, but we'll get there. Talk to each other. Talk to the therapist. Talk, don't bottle it up. That's my medical advice for your discharge," Sorey said before turning. "I'll be in tonight to check on Keith's status, I'll see both of you then," he said before leaving the room.

Lance listened to Sorey, nodded and then watched him leave before closing his eyes. He wasn't entirely certain, but he thought maybe Shiro's lips were closer to the top of his head.  _ Please, _ he implored in his mind, too scared to say it out loud just yet. And it also wasn't quite the right time. But he wanted it, needed it. Needed the comfort and warmth it would bring. He shifted minutely so his head sat a fraction higher than it had before.

Pidge looked at the two left behind. "I'm going to go check on some experiments I left running. I'll be back," they said pretty obviously before making themselves scarce.

Shiro watched as both Sorey and Pidge left. He stayed very still before Lance shifted his head upwards. Did he know? Had he figured it out? Apparently everyone else had.  _ Fuck it, _ Shiro thought before he finally, tentatively and oh so softly, pressed his lips to Lance's hair. He held his breath the whole time, ready to blame it on the ill-timed crush if it was something unwelcome, but he thought it might not be. He was still terrified at the thought.

Lance exhaled slowly in a quiet sigh when he felt Shiro's light kiss. A pleasant warmth settled in his stomach before spreading out to his limbs. It was calming, safe. Lance felt himself evening out as the last stray tear tipped over and he sniffled once more before sitting up slowly and turning to offer a small smile to Shiro. He sniffed again. "So, food?"

Shiro leaned back, still not breathing. He exhaled quietly before he smiled down at Lance too. "Sure. Do you want to stop by the room to change first?"

Lance looked down, eyes a bit wide. He had forgotten he was wearing hospital scrubs. "Uh, yeah. That would probably be a good idea." He wiped quickly at his face, getting rid of any excess moisture and stood, before looking at Keith. He was still sleeping soundly, looking much better than he had previously, but. Lance didn't want to leave. What if something happened while they were gone?

Shiro stood along with Lance, watching as he looked down at their boyfriend. He leaned to the side to squeeze Lance's shoulders lightly. "Sorey will keep an eye on him," he said softly. "And we won't be gone long." He didn't really want to leave either but they had to get out a little bit for their mental health.

Lance nodded. "Kosmo, watch over him while we're gone okay? Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Kosmo looked up at Lance, a quiet whimper coming from him as his yellow eyes looked at the two of them. He whined quietly before settling his head back on Keith's stomach, his tail laying across Keith's legs. Keith shifted slightly as Kosmo did but settled shortly after.

Shiro nodded at Kosmo. "Good boy. We'll be at the room and then in the mess hall, if you need us," he informed the wolf before breaking off from Lance to give him a scratch behind the ears. He glanced up to Keith, wanting to give him a 'see you later' too but not wanting to wake him.

Lance moved closer to the bed and leaned over to kiss Keith on the forehead murmuring, "We'll be back soon, sweetheart. I love you." When he stood back he looked once more at his sleeping boyfriend before turning to Shiro and nodding.

Shiro dropped his hand to Keith's leg under the blanket, giving it a light squeeze before nodding back at Lance and heading for the door, holding it open for him. "I think you still have some stuff at my place, or we can stop by yours," he suggested. Lance sometimes stole his stuff to wear anyways, but he might be more comfortable in his own things.

Lance followed Shiro, but paused for a moment at the door, stealing one last glance at Keith. Since they were heading to the rooms anyway, he might as well grab what he needed for tonight. It would save him a trip when he sneaked out later. He turned and stepped into the hallway. "My room, I think." They would have brought his paladin armor back there after it had been cleaned and mended. And he wanted his bayard.

Shiro nodded, trying to ignore the little pang of hurt in his chest. "Sure," he said easily, looking back before heading in that direction, walking slowly enough for Lance to catch up if he wanted to.

Lance followed after Shiro. His mind wandered as they left the med bay, waving at Mila, who smiled at them on the way out, but was too busy to say anything. He'd be back. He could thank her again later. All the way back to his room, Lance let his mind stew with anger at Laogai. It was almost time. She would get what was coming to her and he would enjoy every second of it. Normally, Lance wasn't a violent person. He preferred to talk if possible, but she had hurt  _ him _ , and that was unacceptable.

Finally reaching the room, Lance put his hand on the scanner and walked inside, noting that someone had placed his armor on his table. Now he just needed to find a way to take his bayard without Shiro noticing. But first, he would change. Lance walked over to his closet and pulled it open, grabbing his usual jeans and raglan shirt, and a pair of boxers before crossing the room to his bathroom and shutting the door. Now was certainly not the time to be turning on his crush by stripping.

Shiro was a bit disappointed when Lance simply followed behind him instead of walking with him, but he understood. He probably wanted to decompress, think all of this through. Shiro knew he would need to sooner or later.

Shiro stepped inside the room after Lance, noting the armor placed on his table as Lance started rifling through his closet. He was ready to turn to give him privacy before Lance abruptly moved to the bathroom and shut the door. Shiro raised an eyebrow but moved over to his bookshelf, reading over the game titles and books housed there.

Lance tugged at the strings on the pants, letting them fall to the floor, then carefully removed his boxers before stepping out of them and reaching for the new pair, opening them and holding them as low as he dared with his stitches as he climbed in. He repeated the process with his jeans, buttoning them and pulling up the zipper before reaching his left hand up the back of his neck and dragging the shirt off of him in one motion. He let that fall to the ground too before reaching for his raglan shirt. He held it in his hands for a moment and sighed, irritated at the familiar situation. Gathering his old clothes carefully, he slung his clean shirt over his arm and opened the door, seeing Shiro looking at his games. He threw his dirty clothes in the hamper and stood somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room, eyes cast to the floor before clearing his throat. He flushed lightly. "I uh...can you...? Again?" he asked, holding out the shirt a bit.

Shiro looked up as the clothes landed in the hamper, confused as Lance was still shirtless. As he held out the shirt it dawned on him. "Yeah, of course," he agreed, standing and holding out a hand to take the shirt from Lance. "Looks like you'll need some help for a while," he noted as he started gathering it up to put over Lance's head.

"Yeah, probably," Lance said, still not looking at Shiro. He held out his arms a bit, it would be easier to put them through first and then tug the shirt over his head. "At least until the stitches are gone." He hated that he needed help, but he wasn't about to risk Mila's wrath trying to do it himself, and he wasn't exactly...opposed to Shiro being the one to help him.

Shiro hummed his agreement as he started to feed Lance's arms through the shirt. "She'll kill you if you pop them," he noted as he maneuvered the fabric up to pull it over Lance's head.

Lance let Shiro help him into the shirt, humming in agreement as his head popped through the neck hole. "Thanks."

Shiro nodded as he straightened the shirt on Lance's frame, trying not to think too hard about what he was doing. "Anytime," he offered.

Lance smiled and brought his hands up to gently grasp Shiro's, squeezing them slightly before letting go. He was trying not to think about the trails of heat along his stomach from where Shiro had accidentally brushed against him. He had even had to repress a shudder when he felt the cold prosthetic against his skin. "Shall we?"

Shiro swallowed as Lance grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly, heat growing on his neck and ears. "Sure," he said succinctly and moved to head out the door.

Lance stepped into his shoes and into the hallway, waiting for Shiro to follow before turning abruptly and rushing back into the room. "Sorry, forgot something," he called behind him. He quickly moved to his table and grabbed his bayard from the suit and shoving it in the back waistband of his pants underneath his shirt. He headed back out into the hallway and smiled again. "Okay, I'm good."

Shiro looked confused but waited outside the door. What could he have forgotten? He shrugged it off mentally as Lance appeared once again, a smile on his face. "Alright. Let's try this food thing again," he suggested and turned down the hall to head to the cafeteria.

Lance nodded and followed Shiro, standing next to him this time, head clearer now that his plan was coming together. He had his bayard. All he had to do now was wait for tonight when they were all asleep and then sneak out. And then kick some ass. Simple.

Shiro snuck glances at Lance as he walked down the hallway with him. He looked better, more centered. More so than just a few minutes ago. What had happened? Had he just been nervous about changing? Shiro chewed on his lip as he thought.

Lance looked over at Shiro. He was chewing on his lip which he didn't think he’d ever seen the man do before. He almost wanted to press his thumb to Shiro’s lower lip and pull until he let go and then maybe he'd-  _ nope, not the time _ , he thought to himself, looking back towards the front and fighting off the blush threatening to cover his face.

Shiro released his lip from between his teeth with a little shake of his head, realizing what he was doing. That wouldn't be a good look on the bridge, and Curtis would probably get on him for it.

They found themselves at the cafeteria again, standing in line behind a few other people. "Any idea what you want?" Shiro asked conversationally.

"Uh..." Lance looked at the menu. "Probably a sandwich would be fine." That should be easy enough to eat, nothing really to upset his stomach. He turned his gaze to the man behind the counter. "Ah, shit," he muttered, hiding slightly behind Shiro.

Shiro looked confused back at Lance before noticing the man at the counter.  _ Ah. _ "If you want to bail, I can do carry-out to the room," he offered. He didn't want Lance stressed out either.

Lance thought for a moment before sighing and resting his head against Shiro's back. He shook it back and forth slightly. "No," he groaned, "I might as well get this over with." He continued to walk behind Shiro as they got closer to the counter though, holding onto his shirt as they walked, head still resting between his shoulder blades.

Shiro looked backward, seeing the top of Lance's head as he shook it. He let Lance grip onto his t-shirt as they walked, not commenting on it in his own silent form of acceptance. This would feel better if Lance weren't feeling so terrible about what was to come.

Pietro turned his attention to the next customer, seeing Shiro. His eyes widened a little before speaking. "Shiro! You're not in the med bay, is everyone alright then?" He couldn't help the worried tone in his voice. Lance had practically always been like family to him and Mila since the Garrison and since he'd gotten together with Keith, they'd added him and Shiro to that group as well. Mila could only tell him so much with patient confidentiality, but he knew that it had been bad. He hoped the boys were alright.

Shiro scratched the back of his head. "More or less. Everyone's through the rougher patches now," he commented as they stepped forward. "Keith's going to stay in for a while, but Lance just got discharged."

Pietro nodded as Shiro spoke, then his eyebrows furrowed. "He's been discharged? Where-"

Lance took a deep breath and let his left hand slide to Shiro's waist, fingers constricting around the fabric there as he pushed himself slightly to the side so he could see around Shiro's arm. He anxiously let his eyes shift over the floor before he looked up, meeting Pietro's eyes. "Hey, Pietro," he said quietly. This was it. He was going to yell. Lance was in so much trouble. His facial features contorted slightly, like he was preparing to be hit.

"Lance," Pietro breathed.

Lance watched as his eyes trailed over what he could see of Lance before moving quickly to step out from behind the counter. Lance backed up a step, letting go of Shiro, eyes wide as the other man advanced and wrapped him in a hug.

It was so gentle. Pietro was clearly being careful not to squeeze too tight.  _ He must not know where I was hurt, _ Lance thought as he brought his arms up to reciprocate. He felt a hand at the back of his head and he buried his face in Pietro's shoulder.

"We were so worried about you, kiddo."

"I'm sorry," Lance mumbled into his shirt.

"I'm so glad that you're alright." He hugged Lance just the littlest bit tighter.

"You're not...mad?" Lance asked in a small voice.

Pietro shook his head. "Of course not. You're okay, and that's all that matters."

Lance hugged him a little tighter too. "Thanks."

"Just promise me you won't run away from Mila again?" Pietro said, stepping back from Lance to give him a fond smile. "You really scared her, you know."

Lance nodded and smiled back. "Promise."

Shiro smiled, eyes soft as the two of them had their reunion. He didn't have a whole lot of close familial relationships, but he knew Lance did and knew how important it was to him that Pietro and Mila not be too mad with him. Shiro was glad that everything was going well so far. "He's a little banged up, but he'll bounce back pretty quickly," he said in an attempt to calm whatever was left of Pietro's concerns.

Pietro turned and smiled at Shiro before returning to the counter and shouting, "Hey everyone! Lance is here!"

A chorus of exclamations sounded from the kitchen and they all filed out, looking Lance over and pulling him into gentle hugs. Lance smiled as everyone crowded around him, asking him questions, making sure he was okay, making sure Keith was okay. He assured everyone that he was fine and that Keith was on the mend and they'd see him again shortly to which they all smiled.

Pietro turned to Shiro as everyone congregated around Lance. "How are you holding up?"

Shiro turned to Pietro, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "As well as can be expected," he said dismissively. He didn't really want to empty his heart out all over the cafeteria floor if he could help it. "Thankful they're both okay, or will be."

He had grown closer to Pietro over time, but as with everyone except for a select few (which included Lance, apparently) he kept them at arm's length. All the better to keep himself and others safe.

Pietro' eyes softened as they looked at the Commander. He was the one Pietro was having the hardest time with. Keith had begrudgingly let him fuss over him like he did with Lance, but Shiro...Shiro was always the tough one. Wouldn't let himself be taken care of. One of these days, Pietro would get him to crack, but he didn't think it would be today. 

He nodded. He looked over at Lance again and smiled softly as the boy smiled. It wasn't as bright as usual, but not as dull as he had expected. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "For being there for him." He turned back to Shiro, looking at him seriously. "When Mila told me some of what had happened. I wasn't sure what to think. I was worried of course. Scared that those boys wouldn't...but after hearing that Lance was at least on his feet and with Keith still...not. I didn't know what to do. That boy," he said, turning again to look at Lance, "he feels everything so strongly. I was afraid that this would break him. I wasn't sure I would ever really see him smile again, even if everything turned out alright. He would always have that memory of what it was like, that darkness hanging over him that would keep him from ever really being himself again. And I can tell now that he's not back yet, but I can still see a bit of the same Lance in that smile and I think it's because of you." 

Pietro turned back to Shiro again. "So thank you. For supporting him. For keeping him steady." Pietro gave him a wry smile. "And thank you for keeping yourself safe during all of this. If you'd been hurt too...Lance would've never recovered."

Shiro initially looked confused when Pietro thanked him, understanding on his face as the other man explained. He shook his head gently. "He supported me as much as I did him," he said softly, eyes turning to Lance and watching as he grinned at one of the kitchen staff members. He wasn't sure he should say that he'd give anything to trade places with them, take their injuries so they didn't have to experience them. "I'm not as important as Keith to him, though. And that's alright." He didn't want to take Keith's place in Lance's heart, he just wanted them both happy.

Pietro smiled knowingly at the look on Shiro's face. Neither of them were that subtle. "Are you sure about that?" he asked softly, watching as Lance looked over at the two of them and smiled brighter, before laughing at something one of the cooks said and turning away. He didn't think either of them had noticed that that smile was directed right at Shiro. Shiro, it seemed, was just as dense as Lance was. 

"You like him, don't you," he asked as casually as possible, still keeping his eyes fondly on Lance.

Shiro smiled back at Lance, glad to see him so happy after he'd been so upset for the last couple of days. He tensed at Pietro's words though, shooting him a sideways glance. The other man's gaze was still fixed on Lance. He weighed his options, considering. 

"Have for a while," he said finally, eyes going back to Lance, fond look taking over his face again. "Not going to let it get in the way of him and Keith, though." They were both more important than his feelings. He could deal with this if he had to.

Pietro hummed and smiled thoughtfully.  _ No use with this one, _ he thought,  _ better give a nudge to the other one then, or we'll be waiting years like we had to with Keith. _ Pietro mentally rolled his eyes at the thought and clapped his hands, bringing everyone's attention to him. "Okay, okay. We should get back to work, I'm sure these boys are hungry, and Lance will surely come around again soon."

Lance saw Pietro give him a look and he nodded.  _ Of course he would. _ Lance gave a last round of hugs to everyone as they filed back into the kitchen and stepped back up next to Shiro, feeling lighter than he had in awhile. He couldn't keep the small smile from his face. No one was mad, everyone was just happy he was safe and Keith was on the mend. They had asked so many questions about him, making sure Keith really was going to be okay. It warmed his heart how worried they were all about him. Lance suddenly got the feeling he'd been away for too long. He needed to get back to the room soon.

"Now," Pietro said, resuming his spot behind the counter. "What can I get for you boys."

Shiro raised an eyebrow as Pietro clapped his hands together, but didn't mind as the group disbanded easily. When Lance moved back over to him he uncrossed his arms, resting his left hand lightly on the small of Lance's back. He sighed mentally at himself but let it slide. "I think Lance said he wanted a sandwich. Same for me is fine." He wasn't really hungry yet, was just going along with the motions so the younger man would, but a sandwich wouldn't kill him.

Lance's eyes widened when he felt Shiro's hand on his back and fought down the blush threatening to take over his face. "Y-yeah. A sandwich for me is good thanks."

Pietro smirked, but hid it well as he turned to give the order to the cooks. "For here or to go?"

Shiro looked down at Lance. "I don't care. What do you want?"

Lance looked up at Shiro, biting his lip a little. He wanted to get back to Keith. "Can we go back?"

Shiro tried his best to ignore Lance biting at his lip. "Sure thing." He looked up. "To go, I guess. We're anxious to get back to Keith."

"Sure thing," Pietro said. He looked over Lance again, he  _ looked _ okay, minus the cast.

Lance saw Pietro looking at him and he smiled reassuringly. "I'm okay, really. A few stitches and the cast. That's it."

Pietro nodded, holding out their boxes. He waited until Lance got closer before he leaned forward. "Don't make the poor man wait too long," he whispered, glancing at Shiro and smiling at Lance's shocked look.

Lance couldn't stop the blush that surged over his face at Pietro's words.  _ What? _

"And please try to be just a hair more careful? We love you, you know," Pietro added, all teasing notes gone.

Lance sobered at his words, his blush fading. "I'll try. I love you guys too."

"That's all I ask, kiddo. You too, big guy," he called to Shiro. "Just a hair more careful. Mila and I would like to be older before we get our grays."

Shiro let them say their goodbyes, tuning out a bit until he heard Pietro address him. "But they're in fashion right now," Shiro deadpanned, gesturing to his own hair before taking the boxes from Lance's hands. "Those are mine, thank you."

Pietro laughed. "Don't worry, it doesn't make you look old like it would me. It looks good on you. Right, Lance?" Pietro smirked as he watched the blush reappear on Lance's face.

Lance nodded. "Yeah, it uh, it looks...nice." He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "And remember? Keith said it makes you look distinguished."

Shiro snorted a little, but his cheeks warmed anyways. "He was teasing. Anywho. Pietro, I'm sure we'll see you again soon," he said as he nodded his thanks. "We should feed the reckless one here before his stomach eats itself."

"Hey!" Lance squawked indignantly. 

Pietro laughed. "Bye, boys. Say hi to your man for me. Tell him I'm glad he's on the mend."

"Will do!" Lance called, turning to wave at Pietro before heading towards the exit. He wanted to get back to Keith, but what had Pietro meant. 'Don't make the poor man wait too long,' he'd said. Lance had assumed by the glance that he was talking about Shiro. He knew Pietro knew about his crush and that's why he'd blushed. But what if he'd meant Keith. They'd already been away for longer than he'd anticipated. He hadn't thought he'd run into Pietro so soon, or talk with the kitchen staff. But...what if he had meant Shiro? Did Pietro know something? Maybe that was his way of telling Lance that everything would turn out okay if he finally said something? But how could he know? Shiro definitely didn't seem the type to blab about that kind of stuff to anyone. Regardless, Lance knew he was going to say something. He was just waiting for the right time. Was this it? Lance couldn't help but be unsure. It just...didn't seem like time yet. There was still too much going on. Keith was still sleeping everything off. Lance still had to deal with Laogai. How could he even think about starting anything in the middle of this mess. No. He would wait. At least until Laogai was dealt with and Keith wasn't sleeping all day anymore. When the dust had settled, then he would tell him.

Shiro nodded and followed behind Lance, stuffing the boxes under one arm as he walked. He slowed slightly in thought. He couldn't keep doing the casual touching. It wasn't fair to Lance or Keith to keep monopolizing the relationship like that. He chewed on his lip again, still thinking of the best course of action when they passed by several offices, a few of which Shiro knew would be vacant due to staffing changes.  _ Fuck it. _

He stopped in the hallway. "Hey, Lance? Mind if I borrow you for a minute?" Shiro brought a hand up and used his thumb to gesture to one of the empty offices. "Just need to talk, the two of us. Get some stuff straight."

Lance paused and turned, hearing Shiro talk. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he looked down the hallway in the direction they'd been heading. "But-" he started,  _ Keith _ . However, Shiro had said they needed to get some things straight.  _ What was he talking about? What things? _ "Um, okay," Lance agreed, stepping back towards Shiro. They'd been away so long already and he knew Shiro wanted to get back to Keith too, so whatever he wanted to talk about must have been important.

Shiro paused at Lance's hesitation. He chewed on his lip again, unsure. He knew Lance wanted to get back to Keith. He did too. Was he being selfish by trying to steal him away to talk it out? Keith would be fine for another fifteen minutes, but what if he wasn't? Shiro felt so torn. 

"I..." he said, indecisive for once. "I...can wait," he said finally. "I know you want to get back to make sure Keith is alright."

"If you're sure? I just..." Lance turned again to look down the hall the way they'd been heading.

Shiro hesitated again. "I'm really not, to be honest," he said softly. "But we should get you back to Keith." To where he belonged. Who he belonged to. That wasn't him, that was Keith, and he shouldn't try to infringe on that. He started walking again.

"Shiro?" Lance asked, confused. He'd never seen him so indecisive. He opened his mouth to say something, stop him, tell him it was okay to talk now, but there was just something in him that was pulling him toward Keith. He knew it was probably irrational, but he'd been poisoned right under their noses, there were so many things that could happen while no one was there. He knew Kosmo would protect him, but...he hadn't stopped Laogai, had he. 

Lance followed after Shiro. "We can talk later, I promise."

Shiro wanted to stop, curl into himself, maybe cry a little. Hug Lance and Keith and never let go. He couldn't do any of those things. What if later never came? He was so unsure. He didn't want to ruin what they had.

He took a few breaths to calm himself.  _ Focus. _ "Yeah. Later. We'll talk later," he agreed, checking to make sure Lance was behind him before he started walking again.


	6. Chapter 6

“Tell us where the Lions are, mutt.” 

Keith glared at the Galran soldier, baring his teeth as he hissed. “Fuck off.”

He barely had enough time to take in a quick breath before a river of water hit his face. Seconds felt like minutes as water was poured over him. His lungs burned, his body screaming for air. Just as consciousness was about to leave him, the water left. He coughed, turning his head as droplets of water fell from his hair. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a smirking Galran. He narrowed his eyes at his torturer. He wanted to break the binds that held him down and punch the smirk straight off of the Galran’s face. 

The Galran reached down and grasped Keith’s hair, pulling it back so Keith’s head was tilted backwards, the edge of the board that he was strapped to digging into the back of his neck. The Galran leaned forward, his breath hitting Keith’s face as he spoke. “Where is Voltron?” 

Keith simply glared back. There is no way he would give up Voltron’s location and put his family at risk. They would have to kill him before that happened. 

The Galran roared, infuriated. He grabbed the large hose and held it over Keith’s face once more, the young man spluttering as it hit his face. “You will tell us, mutt!” He heard the Galran snap. “Or die for your silence!”

The water never went away and Keith couldn’t hold his breath anymore. He could feel his heart beat against his chest. His lungs begged for air. Water filled his mouth and blackness encompassed him. 

\-----

Keith’s eyes snapped open, body jerking forward, gasping silently as the movement pulled on his wounds. His breath came shakily as his heart raced. Kosmo whined, pawing gently at his hand and nuzzled against Keith’s neck. He chirped quietly, distressed, as he looked around the room, searching for his mates. With a quivering hand, he reached up and grabbed a fistful of Kosmo’s soft fur, trying to ground himself. He was out of there. He was safe.

Kosmo whimpered as Keith buried his face into Kosmo’s neck, tears slipping from his eyes as his panic attack waned. Kosmo whimpered, concerned for his master’s wellbeing. After a few moments, he leaned back, his breathing slowly coming back to normal. Kosmo laid his head in Keith’s lap, his yellow eyes peering upward. 

Keith gave his wolf a halfhearted smile and began petting the top of his head to calm both himself and Kosmo. He used his free hand to wipe his eyes, hoping that it wasn’t obvious that he’d been crying. Shiro and Lance had enough on their plates, they didn’t need their boyfriend’s stupid anxiety attack on top of it. It was a nightmare. It was something all three of them dealt with on a common basis. He was okay. He was on the Atlas. 

Keith looked upward, his sorrowful eyes staring up at the ceiling as he continued to pet Kosmo and tried to keep calm as he waited for Lance and Shiro to return.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Lance kept stealing glances at Shiro who still didn't look quite right.  _ Whatever it was must have been really important, _ he thought as they walked back into the bed bay.  _ We _ will  _ talk, Shiro. I promise. _

His heartbeat sped up as they got closer to the room and he couldn't help it, he picked up his pace and jogged the rest of the way. Peering into the room, Lance saw Keith's eyes open and staring at the ceiling. He didn't look...alright.

"Keith," he called, stepping into the room and making a beeline for the bed. Once there he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Keith’s forehead. "I'm so sorry we weren't here when you woke up, sweetheart." He took one of Keith's hands in his own, squeezing lightly before sitting in the chair next to the bed. Lance felt horrible. Keith had woken up alone...He never should have left.

Shiro walked the rest of the way back tense and in silence. He tried his best to relax, be fluid, but it was difficult. This indecision was killing him. He only felt worse when they got back and Keith was awake, staring at the ceiling like he was trying desperately to forget something. His selfishness had caused Keith pain. He moved over to the bed as well, putting the sandwich containers aside on the counter before he moved to the other side of the bed to press a kiss to the back of Keith's hand. "I kept Lance and made you wait. I'm sorry." He felt horrible, wanted to crawl away somewhere. Hide with Keith until all of this was a long forgotten memory.

Lance shook his head, looking at Shiro. He wasn't to blame. Lance turned back to Keith. 

Keith gave Lance a weak smile. "It’s fine," he reassured, his eyes drifting as he watched Shiro place the two cafeteria containers on to the table beside him. "I'm fine. Eat," he said, squeezing their hands. 

He was fine. Lance and Shiro needed to eat and stay healthy and not be putting their wellbeing to the side because of him. It was a little nightmare; a memory, nothing that would kill him. 

Kosmo whined softly and burrowed into Keith's stomach.

"How're you doing?" Lance reached up to brush some hair away from Keith's face. He couldn't help the feeling of guilt sitting in his stomach. He should've been here. Keith never should have woken up alone.

Shiro still felt guilty as he sat, leaving the containers to the side. If Lance wanted his he'd give it to him, but he wasn't going to force him to do anything.

"Still breathing," Keith replied. "I'm fine, Lance. Really. Sit down and eat before you end up as thin as me.” 

He wanted them to stop worrying about him. He was burdening them and he felt like shit. They should be able to leave the room without feeling guilty, the feeling coating both of his mates' actions and faces. He was a ball and chain and he hated it. Their lives shouldn't be stopped because of his mess up. It was bad enough that they were stuck with a damaged version of him for the rest of their lives.

Lance cast his eyes over to where his hand was still lightly brushing through Keith's hair. "Not funny," he said quietly.

Shiro frowned. He didn't like Keith being self-deprecating. "Well, we're working on that," he said quietly, twisting in his seat to reach for one of the boxes. "But you should eat, Lance."

Lance felt the sudden urge to yell. Why the hell were they worrying about him eating right now? They'd left Keith. Alone. He woke up. Alone. Lance had left when Keith needed him here. What the hell had he been thinking? Sure. He wanted his bayard, but he could have gotten that tonight when Shiro was still here. Why was he such an idiot. Lance leaned forward, putting his forehead on the bed next to his hand. He groaned to get rid of his frustration, but didn't actually answer or take the box.

Shiro tipped his head in confusion and reached his free hand to ruffle Lance's hair, immediately cursing himself after. They needed to talk first, dammit. "We can't change the past, Lance. Just have to move forward." He was a hypocrite.

Keith frowned, his eyes moving to look at Lance as the Cuban rested his head against the bed. With a shaky hand, he placed it on the back of Lance's head. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He hated that he was doing this to him. Lance didn't deserve this. Neither did Shiro.

Lance sighed. "You have nothing to be sorry about," he mumbled, squeezing Keith's hand. "I just...I'm mad at myself. It's fine." Lance picked up his head and brought his right hand up to hold Keith's outstretched hand to his cheek. He offered a small smile.

Keith's brows furrowed in confusion. His thumb began caressing Lance's cheek. "Why? You didn't do anything wrong?"

Lance leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. He shook his head once. "I don’t want to argue about it. It's fine. Really." He opened his eyes and looked at Keith, a genuine soft smile forming on his lips. He didn't think he’d ever get tired of staring into Keith's eyes. Or at Keith in general. He was unfairly pretty and everytime he got a chance to just look at his boyfriend, it was like he was seeing a sunrise for the first time. He was so glad Keith was okay. "I love you."

Shiro let Keith's hand take its place on the back of Lance's head, watching them work it out. Keith comforting him was doing so much. Shiro was both ridiculously grateful and... something else. Bittersweet? Jealous? Just a tinge. He wasn't sure. He took a deep breath.

A faint blush blossomed on Keith's cheeks. Even after 6 months, he couldn't help but grow red at the affection that both Shiro and Lance gave him. It was something he wasn't used to and it was warm and pleasant. "Love you too," Keith replied softly. He turned his hand, his index finger faintly touching the scabs on Lance's face, sadness encompassing his heart. Seeing them exposed....he wanted to do nothing but go back in time and keep Lance away, even if it meant him dealing with more torture. He would rather die than see either of his boyfriends wounded. 

Hearing Shiro take a deep breath, Keith's eyes broke away from the claw marks on Lance's cheek, concerned that something was wrong with Shiro. He looked at his eldest boyfriend, concern obviously showing in his eyes.

Lance also turned slightly to look, just enough to see Shiro, and also keep Keith's hand on his cheek. He had missed the contact. The comfort of having Keith's warm hand on his skin kept him from wanting to ever move. He'd almost lost this. Again. And in all likelihood one of them would be in a similar situation in the future. They were in a war after all. So he would take whatever he could get and he was going to be greedy about it.

Shiro looked between the two of them. Obviously they'd heard him sigh. Damn. "Uh," he started as he put the sandwich on the side of the bed closer to where Lance could reach. "Just, feeling a little off. It's fine." Not a complete lie, he didn't know what his emotions were doing and he was feeling weird.

Lance narrowed his eyes minutely.  _ Did this have to do with what he wanted to talk about earlier? _ he wondered. Lance felt a little guilty. Getting back to Keith had been important,  _ very _ important, but Shiro was obviously having a hard time with something and Lance hadn't stopped to listen.  _ God, I wouldn't want me as a boyfriend right now. One track mind. _ Maybe it was a good thing Lance hadn't said anything yet. That would have been a shitty thing to do as a boyfriend. He'd have to figure out how to do better if he wanted to be with Shiro too.

Keith looked at Shiro, his concern growing. Was it his fault? Did he throw him off kilter? He changed the whole dynamic, he could feel it, and he felt horrible. Their future was murky. He didn't know how scarred his lungs or heart were and not to mention the psychological damage that had happened. What if he was stuck with an oxygen tank for the rest of his life? What if he couldn't fly anymore? Or be a part of Voltron?

Keith's hand dropped from Lance's face, arm tired and hurting from holding it up for so long. His eyes shifted to the thin arm. While he wasn't completely emaciated, it was obvious he lost weight that he knew he couldn't. He barely weighed enough to fly to begin with and was a hot topic between him and the other two.  _ They deserve better, _ he thought.

Shiro raised his hands, trying to ward off the depressed mood that had descended in the room. "No. Not...not related to anything happening here. You're both great. Perfect, even. This is on me."

Lance didn't think that was true, but shot Shiro a we'll-talk-later look and turned back to Keith to see him looking at his own arm. He  _ was _ a bit skinnier than usual. "Don't worry, we'll get you back up to your usual badass self in no time," Lance reassured, giving his boyfriend a warm smile.

Keith couldn't stop the snort that came from Lance's comment even though it hurt his throat and made him cough. Once done, he looked at Lance. "Yeah, a badass with an inhaler and gets taken down by the common cold. Scary," he deadpanned.

Lance frowned, then decided he wasn't going to let it end like that so he smiled again. "Hey, I think it would be pretty badass to see someone running around in the field, fighting and then he just," Lance mimed using an inhaler, "and then goes 'okay, I’m good.' and just goes back to kicking ass. Swoon." Lance fanned his face with his hand dramatically.

Shiro snorted a laugh. "That would be pretty badass," he agreed.

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance's dramatics. "It’s also a liability," Keith muttered. His whole life could completely change and it affected Lance and Shiro tremendously.  _ Should've died in the cave, _ he thought.  _ Wouldn't be a burden then. _

Shiro shook his head. "It's not. And even if it is, we're a team. We'll get through it together."

Lance shot Shiro a grateful look and smiled. "Right. Together." He took a moment longer to look at Shiro before turning to Keith. "We  _ do _ make a good team." He smirked knowingly at Keith, eyebrow raised.

Shiro's eyes locked with Lance's before they both looked away. He still felt like a massive hypocrite.

Keith gritted his teeth. They were a team, yes, but the last thing he wanted to happen was for his team, his boyfriends, to get injured because he had to take a breather. Keith wanted to scream but also knew that he shouldn't. He took in a shaky breath and exhaled slowly causing Kosmo to lift his head, head tilting slightly in confusion. "And what happens if I have to use an oxygen tank for the rest of my life," he said tensely, "or can't run more than a mile because my heart will give out or something? I'm fucking damaged goods and-" Keith cut himself off, already saying more than he wanted to as his anger got the best of him.

Lance's smile fell and his brow furrowed. "That won't happen," he started, "and even if it did, so what? You think it’ll make either of us love you less? You're not damaged goods Keith. Makes you sound like a piece of equipment. You're a person, and you're perfect." Lance flicked Keith's arm lightly. "Would you be saying these things about me or Shiro if we were laying there instead of you? No, so stop saying them about yourself."

Shiro nodded in agreement. "Lance is right, Keith. You're being too hard on yourself. We don't love you any less because of what happened, especially when it wasn't your fault." He leaned forward to take Keith's hand. "If you can't run, I'll carry you. Tank and all."

Keith closed his eyes, willing his tears to go away, to stop from falling. He squeezed Shiro's hand and willed his words to come. "I can't be a burden to you two. Refuse to be," he said in a mere whisper. "You two are different."

Shiro squeezed his hand back. "You have never been a burden, and you never will be." He wished he could cradle Keith close as he said it, but knew he couldn't. Not with all the tubes and wires and Shiro not being all there himself.

"You're not a burden, babe." Lance closed his eyes and sighed.  _ How else can I explain this? _ "Look, I didn't fall in love with you because of how you fight, or how long you can run, or because you can breathe on your own. I fell in love with you because you're snarky, and funny, and you give my shit right back to me. You're kind, caring, smart, and stupid enough to have fallen in love with me. That's why I love you. And that's why I'll always love you. Whatever happens. I'm in this for the long haul."

Shiro nodded his agreement. Lance always had the right words when they failed him.

Tears slipped out from Keith's eyes, falling down his cheeks. This could happen again. Anti-Galran people were all over, even on the Atlas. While he could have run under the radar before, Voltron's popularity made it common knowledge that he was half-Galran and a member of the Blade of Marmora. While this was the highest it escalated, what was stopping someone from shooting him? Poisoning his food? Or even just pushing him down the stairs. He wasn't safe in the medical wing of the Atlas, where was he safe? This could happen again and on some level probably already was. And that terrified him. What if Lance or Shiro were caught in the crosshairs? That was the last thing he wanted. 

Fuck, he wanted a hug.

Lance leaned forward to wipe away Keith's tears. "I wasn't trying to make you cry, sweetheart. Just trying to help you understand how much you mean to us."

Shiro recognized the look on his face; had seen it far too many times. He judged the space left on the bed before deciding he could probably manage to squeeze in, barely but enough, before he was up on the bed, lifting tubes to duck under them and cradle Keith close. He shushed softly. "We love you so much," he said, his voice no more than a whisper in Keith's ear. "We want you to understand that you will never negatively impact us, only support and build us up."

Their words only made Keith weep harder. He had so much he wanted to say but couldn't. He curled in closer into Shiro, trying to melt into the embrace. He wanted to feel safe. He was almost murdered in his own home by someone that they should've been able to trust. Who else could hurt him? Or worse, hurt Lance or Shiro. That thought alone made his breath hitch which caused him to go into a coughing fit.

Lance's eyes widened as Keith started to cough. He squeezed his hand gently and ran the other up and down his arm, trying to calm him. Lance looked up at Shiro. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to join the cuddle pile, squish Keith in between them and wrap him up in their arms, but there really wasn't enough room and he didn't want to hurt anyone.

Shiro looked at Lance, a bit at a loss. He knew he probably wanted up, but Keith was crying and Shiro didn't want to get up to move the bed over until he was okay. He kept shushing Keith and pressing kisses to his hair.

Keith leaned heavily into Shiro as his coughing attack waned, his breathing slightly raspy from his sore throat. A weak hand curled into Shiro's shirt as tears continued to slip down Keith's cheeks. "I'm sorry," he rasped. "You two should be eating."

"Food can wait, cariño," Lance said quietly, still running his hand up and down Keith's arm.

Shiro hummed. "Not hungry anyways.”

With a quivering hand, Keith wiped his cheeks, giving Lance's a squeeze with his other one. "Both of you should still eat," Keith mumbled. "God knows how long you two have been cooped up in here."

"Alright," Lance said, giving in and reaching over to grab the box Shiro had left for him, not letting go of Keith's hand. "Only because I know you won't stop bugging me about it, which is something you've unfortunately picked up from me and Shiro. If there's one thing we as a group are good at, it's making sure we all eat." Lance rolled his eyes good-naturedly and opened his box. He slid a few pieces of turkey off the sandwich and held it over towards Kosmo. "You too, bud."

Shiro hummed. "He can have the meat off of mine too," he told Lance. "Though I feel like someone will remember to bring him food soon." Mila or Pietro, or Pidge and Hunk.

Keith couldn't stop the small smile from appearing on his face as he saw Kosmo chomp down the offered pieces of meat. A few more tears made their way down his cheek as he took Kosmo's paw into one of his hands. Kosmo was also taken and had been a silent victim in all of this. He probably didn't understand what was going on or what was wrong with Keith but loyally stayed beside him. Keith never thought he could love an animal as much as he loves Kosmo. 

Kosmo's attention was brought to his paw, the wolf gently nosing at Keith's hand before gingerly licking it. Keith chuckled weakly. "Don't have anything to give ya, boy," he said softly. 

Kosmo barked quietly before setting back down with his head in Keith's lap.

Lance smiled as Kosmo took the turkey from him, then began eating the rest of his sandwich slowly. His stomach felt okay now, but that didn't mean it would feel that way later.

Shiro detached his arm with a soft click and floated the box over, taking the turkey off and offering it to the wolf. "Hey, buddy. Here's something," he offered.

Kosmo's ears perked up before he lifted his head to take the turkey from Shiro's hand. "Spoiled," Keith mumbled, sniffling.

Kosmo's tail wagged joyfully as he placed his head back into Keith's lap. Keith reached out and ran a hand down Kosmo's muzzle, the wolf nuzzling into the touch. "How..." Keith swallowed, "how did the nurse manage to give me the toxin?" he asked softly, his eyes trained on Kosmo.

Lance looked to Shiro. How were they supposed to tell him they were literally sitting right there as she hung the bag? That they were happy because they thought it was morphine to dull the pain. That they didn't even look. That they let it happen.

Shiro looked like he was going to be sick. "She mixed up your medication," he said softly. "We didn't know she was hanging poison, we thought it was morphine. Explains why you were still in pain..." Shiro felt so responsible, he should have been looking at the bags as they hung them.

Lance put his sandwich back down and let his head fall, squeezing his eyes shut.

Keith hummed. Seeing Lance put his sandwich down, Keith frowned. He glanced upward to see Shiro's heartbreaking expression and felt his heart crumble.  _ Fucking up like always Keith, _ he thought.

"What were you two supposed to do?" Keith said softly. "Last I checked you were pilots, not doctors."

"Not the point," Lance mumbled, angry tears forming in his eyes. "We're supposed to protect each other. And we...we failed. We were almost too late...twice..." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry Keith," he whispered, voice cracking.

Shiro stayed silent, afraid his voice would betray him. He held Keith a little tighter.

Keith let out a soft distressed chirp, a frown pulling his lips downward. "My stupidity got me captured the first time. It's...my fault that they got the jump on me. No matter what the Intel said I should've been more on guard and because I wasn't...Kosmo got hurt and you two did as well. The second time...we're home. We're supposed to be safe here." Keith looked down at his hands, faint tremors going through his body. "I knew there were people on board not exactly happy with my heritage but I never-" Keith let out a soft breath. "There was no way for you two to prevent what happened and I don't expect you to if it happens again. You two can't protect me from everything no matter how much you guys want to."

Lance's eyes hardened quickly and he grit his teeth together, the words forcing themselves out before he could stop them. "This will  _ never _ happen again." He could tell his voice had taken on a very dark undertone, but he couldn't help it. There would be no next time. If he had to make an example of that... _ bitch _ , so that everyone knew not to mess with them then so be it. He would bloody his hands to keep Keith and Shiro safe. He would soak them if that's what it took.  _ No one _ hurt his family and got away with it. Not again.  _ Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice? _ he thought, his anger festering.  _ I'll kill you. _

Shiro's eyes widened as he looked at Lance. That was the face of a man who would kill, and enjoy every second of it. He never wanted to see that look on Lance of all people. "The authorities have her," he said quietly, trying to send a nonverbal message to Lance to  _ calm the fuck down _ . "And they'll make an example of her. And it will never happen again."

He pressed a kiss to Keith's temple, holding him a little tighter to try and make the shaking go away.

Keith frowned. If someone managed to attack him right under their noses, what prevented it from happening again? Keith closed his eyes as Shiro kissed his temple, trying to absorb the comfort he was trying to give. He felt a thrum of panic going through his body as scenarios played out in his head. He never fathomed that he would be in danger in his own home. "We're supposed to be safe here," he muttered, not realizing he was actually speaking out loud.

Shiro's arms tightened slightly again. "We'll have a security detail while you're in here. Only approved visitors, Mila and Sorey."

Lance looked up at Keith, anger melting into sadness. They  _ were _ supposed to be safe here. Why couldn't people see past race? Why couldn't they see how much Keith had sacrificed and was still sacrificing for them. Keith was a paladin of Voltron. That alone should be enough if nothing else. But he knew that was a fool's dream. There would always be those that hated without reason. At least he could make sure Laogai and anyone working with her would never touch them again. It was a small comfort, but he'd do what he could.

Keith frowned. "What about afterwards? They would be idiots if they tried again in here," he said softly, "and what about you? If they don't like that I'm Galran, they're probably not too happy you're sleeping with one," he muttered.

Shiro shrugged. "I'll deal with it. Not like I haven't had people targeting me for who I  _ date _ , not sleep with, before." He corrected gently. Their relationship was more than physical. Anyone who couldn't see that was an idiot. He and Keith had been together through thick and thin, and would continue to be. "And we'll just have to watch each other's backs. It sucks, but it's not anything we're not used to." He nuzzled into Keith's hair slightly, trying to calm him again.

Lance hummed in agreement, squeezing Keith's hand lightly. He already watched their backs on the battlefield, he'd just watch them in their everyday lives too.

Keith held Lance's hand tightly, his eyes closing as he tried to stay calm. "You two can't be in the crosshairs," he muttered. He’d rather go through this all over again than Shiro or Lance getting injured because of some racist asshole. 

He just wanted to be happy. He found his mates. They loved him. Wanted to be with him. Understood him and just as they're settling in with each other...this happens. Keith just wanted a break for once. He slumped in Shiro's hold but kept a tight grasp on Lance's hand.

"You can't be either," Shiro murmured. He wouldn't rest until Keith was happy, safe and confident in who he was. No matter what he had to do.

Keith frowned. "You can't stop all the assholes," Keith murmured. "Not even on this ship. Laogai wasn't the only one."

Lance frowned. "Why are you so ready to count us out before we've even started? There are always going to be assholes. We just have to be more careful from now on. I believe in us." Lance looked over at Shiro before turning to Keith. "You should too."

Shiro nodded. "We're stronger than any douchebag, together."

Keith's head dipped forward, guilt swarming him. It wasn't that he didn't think they  _ could _ protect him, it was that he didn't want them to get hurt because they were. "I-" Keith paused before sighing heavily, the breath fogging up his mask briefly, "I just don't want you guys to end up hurt," he murmured. "Not because of me."

"If for some reason Shiro or I get hurt it won't be because of you. It'll be because of assholes with issues, okay? It will never be your fault. You can't control other people, cariño. They make their own decisions. The best we can do is," Lance sighed, "keep each other safe."

Shiro nodded. "That's up to them, not you. And you aren't responsible for what they decide to do," he reiterated. He sighed, knowing Keith probably wouldn't give up with blaming himself. "But we're not breaking up with you over it, or anything like that. We're just going to have to see what the future brings." Nice things along with the bad, hopefully. Kids, a home.

Keith leaned heavier into Shiro, his eyes still shut. "I don't want to live in fear anymore," Keith admitted softly. "Can't even get treated without worrying about getting poisoned? Do I need to check my food from now on? Corners?"  _ Can I come home and relax? _

Shiro reached a hand up to run through his hair. "The kitchen loves Lance and you, you don't need to worry about that. And you're amazing at hand-to-hand if it comes to it," he both complemented and tried to soothe Keith's concerns. "It's just one asshole nurse. Not a reason to be afraid to live."

"Shiros right. Everyone in the kitchen loves you, and even if someone tried to jump you from around a corner, you'd be able to take them down in two seconds. I would know," Lance added fondly, remembering the one time he thought it would be funny to scare his boyfriend. He'd been pinned as soon as he jumped out. "And we can have Mila and Sorey be your primaries like they are for me."

"There are others," Keith muttered. "It's been small things but..." Keith trailed off, shaking his head. He didn't need to burden them, it was his issue. It was a common thing. Galrans attacked the whole universe, of course there would be those who didn't exactly like them everywhere he went. He got the usual slurs and shoves. Nothing major. Nothing to worry the other two about.

"Unfortunately, there usually isn't just one racist. Just tell us if something happens and we'll take care of it. Or pull rank. That usually shuts people up."

Shiro nodded. "Either or. We'll take care of it," he agreed. He wasn't above getting his hands a little dirty to get a desired result.

"Shouldn't have to," Keith muttered, squeezing Lance's hand. He coughed weakly, his throat irritated from speaking so much.

Lance squeezed back. "Maybe not, but we will. Because we love you. We don't mind."

Shiro hummed. "Exactly." Sometimes he felt like Lance said precisely what he was feeling, too. Probably because they both loved Keith. Why did that make him care for Lance all the more?

Keith hummed, his strength obviously waning. Kosmo whined quietly, nose rubbing against Keith. Keith's eyes fluttered back open, his eyes dull as they shifted towards Kosmo and then Lance. A small smirk appeared on his lips. "Eat your sandwich before Kosmo takes it from you."

"Yes, mom," Lance joked, picking up his sandwich again. It seemed the moment had passed. He wasn't sure they'd managed to convince Keith of much of anything, but he'd say anything as many times as he needed to hear it to help him understand. 

He took a bite of his sandwich. The anger he'd felt earlier was still festering darkly in his stomach and was almost making it hard to eat. The only thing keeping him chewing was knowing that it might seem out of place should he suddenly stop. It wouldn't be long now. It was almost night. He could wait a little bit more.

Shiro nodded, content that the moment and it's solemnity had passed. "I'll leave my bread for later," he said as he squeezed Keith gently before beginning to extract himself. Lance probably wanted time with him too, and Shiro shouldn't be selfish.

Keith glanced upward as he felt Shiro pull away, confusion bubbling up within him. Why was Shiro pulling away? Was it something he said?  _ This is what happens when you open your big mouth, idiot, _ Keith couldn't help but think. He should've kept his problems to himself.

Lance continued taking bites of his sandwich, focused eyes trained on the wall. Planning, running through everything again just to make sure everything went smoothly. No hiccups. He had to get down to the brig, have some 'words' and get back. All without anyone knowing or stopping him. He could do it. A sniper had to be able to blend into the shadows, change position at a moments notice so no one could get a read on his shots. He could sneak down a few hallways.

Shiro paused as he felt Keith tense. "Not upset. Just thought Lance may want a turn with you," he said as his eyes slid over to Lance. He was chewing his sandwich rather methodically, which was... confusing. "Lance?"

Lance's eyes slid slowly over to Shiro, brows still furrowed in thought. His hand paused halfway to his mouth with the last bit of his sandwich. He relaxed his face once he saw Shiro was looking at him. "What's up?"

Shiro tilted his head a little. "Do you want to have some time with Keith?"

Lance smiled. "Thanks, Shiro, but I'm not sure how to really get in there without hurting one of us." Lance squeezed Keith's hand. "I'll cuddle the shit out of you once we're healed."

Keith gave Lance a small smile. "Looking forward to it," he reassured.

"I'll bet you are, mullet." Lance winked, throwing the last bit of sandwich into his mouth.

Shiro snickered a little to himself and wasted no time in snuggling in again, cuddling Keith.

Keith leaned back into Shiro, snuggling into the man's warmth. Keith chuckled weakly at Lance's joke. "Just don't break me in half Cargo Pilot," he replied.

"Deal." Lance chuckled, squeezing Keith's hand and leaning back in his chair. He couldn't wait until this was all over and he could make good on his promise.

Shiro coughed in surprise.

"Although, I don't know why you're so worried. Don't think you're flexible enough to fold in half?" Lance smirked, then pressed his lips together, trying to hold in the laughter. "I mean, if you're that concerned, you can cuddle me instead. I don't mind."

Shiro's eyes widened.  _ Lance, what the hell, _ he thought frantically.

"Plus, I know I'm fully confident in  _ my _ ability to fold in half."

Keith blinked, a blush appearing on his face before glaring at Lance, the expression hindered by the redness that was crawling down his neck. "Probably was the only way you could get a blow job," he muttered, looking away from Lance. He was so commandeering Lance's jacket once he could. A smirk appeared on his face.  _ Two can play at this game, sharpshooter. _

"Oh,  _ you _ know that's not true," Lance fired back, smirk returning full force.

Shiro's face and ears turned bright red. "Uh, guys? Location?" he reminded them gently. He was starting to get concerned about his ability to not pop a boner in bed and make Keith feel awkward.

Lance turned to look at Shiro, making his face as serious as he could, his lips still twitching with amusement. "Something wrong,  _ Commander? _ " he asked innocently.

Shiro shifted uncomfortably. "Lance, knock it off," he warned.

Lance licked and bit his lower lip in another attempt to keep the smile from his face. "Sorry, sir."

Keith held up a hand, a smirk dancing on his lips as he tried to hold back laughter.

Shiro made a frustrated noise. "Damn it Lance. Do you want to have the talk here or are you going to let me be a gentleman and do it properly," he growled. All pretense was gone now, and he was just assuming Lance knew what he was talking about and was trying to fuck with him.

Lance's face contorted in confusion, a smile still partially on his lips.  _ Talk? Gentleman? Was he talking about what he pulled Lance aside for earlier? _

Keith rolled his eyes, gently placing his free hand on Shiro's chest. "Calm down," he said. "Lance, knock it off, I don't really want to be directly in the middle of you two when you start making out and I don't exactly have the leg strength to move," he said with a deadpan look.

Mentally, Keith shook his head.  _ The quicker these two bone, the better, _ he couldn't help but think.

Lance's eyes widened and his face erupted in red, sputtering as he tried to speak. "I- we're-." He cut off with a short noise, almost like a mix between a whine and a grunt. " _ Keith! _ "

Shiro's eyes widened and his jaw dropped a bit as he was brought back down from his frustration. "I don't think we'd go straight to-" He cut himself off, blush renewed.

Lance didn't think his face could get any redder, but he was wrong. He flushed more as Shiro spoke, implying they'd take things slower. Like he wanted to do things in the first place. With Lance.

"Lance!" Keith responded in a faux shocked tone before looking at his boyfriend with a smirk before looking up at Shiro. "Yes, yes. Gentleman Takashi. But the way this one is acting..." he said, gesturing towards Lance with a nod of his head. "Just remember protection, boys."

Lance's jaw actually dropped when Keith spoke.  _ Pro-protection??? _

Lance put the one hand not occupied in Keith's over his face and groaned. He really couldn't blame anyone. He'd started it. He always started it. And somehow it usually ended up like this. He chanced a quick glance at Shiro through his fingers, seeing the man just as red as he imagined he himself was and smiled softly into his hand.

Shiro turned to Keith. "Stop with the name thing," he begged softly, almost at the end of his rope. "And I know you know I always..." He cut himself off again.

Lance groaned again, still covering his face with his hand. Now he was thinking about it. About him and...He was supposed to be angry, dammit, not turned on.

Keith couldn't help but laugh softly, causing him to cough slightly but he thought it was worth it. He leaned into Shiro more."You two are precious and I love you both, but you're idiots," he murmured. "Was going to suggest a threesome if you two kept dancing around each other. It was almost getting nauseating at times." Keith sobered slightly. "It's obvious that things have changed." Keith softly snorted. "Almost dying will do that apparently but, all I want is for you two to be happy." He looked up at the heavily blushing Lance before looking upward at Shiro. "And to stop being so fucking awkward with each other."

Shiro looked bashful. "Yeah, okay," he said softly, just loud enough for Lance to hear. "Everyone likes beating me over the head with it today." How did everyone know before they did, what in the gods' names...

Lance listened and felt his heartbeat pick up at the words. Keith seemed to think that Shiro still had feelings for him. Maybe Pietro really was talking about Shiro? Could this really...work out okay? "Maybe," Lance said quietly, lifting his head to look at Shiro, still blushing, but not quite as red as before. Could this be what Shiro wanted to speak about? "Maybe we should have that talk."

When he heard Lance speak softly he looked at him, eyes wide. "Now? Here?" He didn't know how Lance felt about Keith being here too. This was hardly the declaration he'd wanted to give him, wanted something grander, but he might not have a choice in it.

"No! No, uh, um, maybe...later? Or like tomorrow, before...before breakfast? I'm kinda tired." It wasn't a lie, but Lance also knew something else needed his attention first before he could give it wholly to Shiro. Which is what he deserved, so tomorrow morning would be good. Then everything would be over and done with.

Shiro felt relief and disappointment flood into him. "Oh. Yeah, uh. Tomorrow works fine." He had been scheduled for a day off anyways, even before the incident. "You should get your rest, you're still recovering."

Lance nodded.

Shiro switched his gaze back to Keith. "Content, you conniving man?" He had probably planned this.

Keith hummed, a smirk on his lips. "Sue me for wanting my boyfriends happy." Exhaustion made him lean farther into Shiro, but he didn't want to sleep. He didn't want to have a nightmare in front of them. That's the last thing he wanted. They were just getting over the whole poisoning thing, the last thing that Keith wanted to go through is talking about the two days of Hell that put him in the hospital to begin with.

"You tired too, babe?" Lance asked, seeing Keith slump further into Shiro.

Shiro frowned. "I should let you two sleep," he commented. They were both recovering.

" _ Hago sipji anh-a. _ " Keith murmured, fighting it. He didn't want to relive those memories but he also knew that his body was reaching the point that there was no way he could fight the inevitable. He was going to fall asleep. His body was weak and needed the rest to recover. He only hoped that his mind would let him and not torture him further.  _ (Don't want to) _

Lance's brows furrowed in confusion and he looked to Shiro, fighting the blush that wanted to reappear on his face just from looking at the man.

Shiro pressed a kiss to Keith's hairline. "We'll be here to keep you safe," he reassured. And he meant it this time. "Rest."

Keith chirped softly at Shiro's kiss, the young man already half-asleep and not fully aware of what he was doing. " _ Agmong, _ " he whispered, his grasp tightening on Lance's hand.  _ (Nightmares) _

"Shiro?" Lance asked quietly.

Shiro made a noise of understanding. "Nightmares are expected after what you went through," he reassured softly, eyeing Lance to make sure he got the translation. "I had them too. They're scary, but you need to try and rest anyway."

Lance's face contorted in concern as his eyes flicked to Keith. "He's right, Keith. Plus, we'll be right here. You won't be alone." Lance reached forward to brush his fingers lightly through some of Keiths hair.

Keith's hand tightened further on Lance's, his body trying desperately to hold onto consciousness. " _ Tteonaji ma, _ " he whispered, almost pleading. " _ Anjeonhan, _ " he said, his grasp starting to weaken as his body succumbed to its exhaustion. " _ Anjeonhan. _ " He repeated before going lax as he fell asleep.  _ (Don't leave. Safe. Safe.) _

Lance squeezed Keith's hand back. He didn't know what Keith was saying, but he sounded scared. He didn't know what to do.

Shiro looked heartbroken. "We won't leave, we'll keep you safe," he reassured the sleeping man in his arms. He looked up to Lance. "We're not leaving him again at the same time," he told Lance, knowing for sure now that he'd made a mistake earlier in dragging Lance to the cafeteria with him.

Lance nodded. That was a good idea. They never should have in the first place. A small pit of disappointment opened in his stomach. They might have to wait for that talk after all.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand again and stood, leaning over to place a kiss to Keith's hair. " _ Te amo, mi amor, _ " he whispered softly, then straightening up. "I'm gonna sleep, I think."

Shiro looked up as Lance spoke. "Your room?" he asked quietly. Lance needed to sleep in a bed this time.

"Ah, no. I don't...I don't think I could leave him for that long yet," Lance answered, looking down at his feet. "I'll just." He gestured to the bed they had originally brought in for him. "Um...night, Shiro." He started around the side of the bed and towards the other side of the room, climbing into the bed and laying down. He was anxious for everyone to fall asleep. It was almost time.

Shiro nodded in understanding, letting Lance go easy. "Night, Lance," he said as the other man made his way toward the bed, laying down and settling in. Shiro stayed awake for a while longer, petting Keith's hair and singing him soft songs in Korean until he dropped off to sleep as well.

Lance laid in bed, facing the wall away from Shiro and Keith, just in case Shiro happened to turn around and see that he was still awake. Because how could he sleep? He couldn't run the risk of missing his chance to sneak out. Keith would be fine here with Shiro. Lance could slip out and come right back without either of them knowing. He just had to wait for Shiro to fall asleep.

Once it sounded like Shiro's breathing had evened out, Lance chanced a glance over his shoulder. Shiro was still curled next to Keith, both  _ looked _ sound asleep, but just to be sure, Lance waited a minute more and watched. Seeing no movement beyond the rise and fall of their chests, Lance rolled over fully to stand up quietly. He breathed slowly, keeping his eyes on the three snuggled on the other bed as he moved on light feet to the door. Seeing Kosmo lift his head, Lance put a finger to his lips and shook his head. Kosmo laid his head back down and Lance closed his eyes briefly. When his eyes opened he saw one of Shiro’s peering at him from the bed. “Water,” he answered the silent question. Once at the door frame, he glanced both ways down the hallway before throwing one last look over his shoulder and disappearing into the hall.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings for this Chapter: Night Terror, Panic Attack, Assault, and mentions of torture/whipping.

Lance walked normally down the hallway once he was out of earshot of the room. He didn't want to attract any attention by walking strangely. It was the middle of the night so he only passed a few medical staff on his way out of the med bay and they just nodded when he said he was finally going back to his room and went on their way. 

He exited the medical wing and made a beeline for the brig. This late at night, there shouldn't have been anyone wandering the halls, but he still tried to be as quiet as possible. The medics might not think anything of him leaving in the middle of the night with his little lie, but there was no excuse for him to be headed this way at all, regardless of the time and he'd rather not be stopped. 

Lance ducked around a few corners to avoid a few random stragglers, but eventually made it to the brig, hand briefly touching his back to make sure his bayard was still there. Feeling it's smooth surface beneath the fabric of his shirt, he finally freed the anger he'd been suppressing for hours now. He stepped forward and paused. He hadn't thought about there being guards. He squared his shoulders. He was going to get his moment with her no matter what. 

He stepped up to the soldiers who stood a little more alert at his arrival, eyeing him. Lance didn't even look at them, training his glare on the figure behind the bars. "I need a minute with... _ that _ ," he growled.

The guard on the right glanced at his partner, a small nod from him giving him the reassurance for what he wanted to do. He heard what the woman did to the Red Paladin and most people on the ship wanted her to get what she deserved. He opened the door and gestured for Lance to enter.

Laogai lifted her head when she heard the door open, confusion on her face as she looked towards the door frame.

Lance stepped into the cell, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Oh, it’s you." Laogai deadpanned. "Did the bitch finally die?"

Lance flinched and tightened his fists, nails cutting into his skin. "He's fine actually. You failed." His tone was anything but friendly. Maybe just a hint of smugness.

Laogai frowned. "How? The mutt was choking on his own blood...damn it." She cursed. "And let me guess, you and the Commander are overjoyed that the bitch is still alive." She snorted. "Wait until it tears your throat out. It’s only a matter of time. Having that.. _ thing _ on the Atlas, it dooms us all."

Lance started shaking. "You know nothing about him. Why," he ground out. He needed answers. Answers first.

"Why what?" She responded, bored.

Lance took a few steps closer, still glaring angrily. "Why did you do it? He's done nothing to you. He's a paladin of Voltron. He fights to protect people like  _ you _ , so why. Why did you try to kill him?" He practically was yelling at this point.

Laogai snorted. "Thought it was obvious," she said. "He's Galran. He should be dead. Drowning in his disgusting blood. He has all of you brainwashed. He is a vile creature that will rip us apart and let Haggar take over Earth and the universe."

"Don't you  _ fucking _ ," Lance said rushing forward and wrapping a hand around her throat. "Nothing about this is funny. You tried to kill my boyfriend," he snarled in her face.

"And someone will succeed where I failed," she gasped out. "He will die and he deserves to go out in agony. I hope he's awake and aware when he draws his last breath."

Lance exhaled angrily through his nose and squeezed tightly before letting go and cocking his arm back fully, roaring as his fist shot forward, connecting with her jaw. A sharp pain shot through his arm and his knuckles ached from the impact but he ignored it. " _ Bitch! _ " he shouted, going for her again.

Laogai yelped as she felt pain fire across her face. She held her jaw, her eyes narrowing. "He has tainted you!" she yelled. "Tainted everyone! Even now he clouds your thoughts. I hope his fucks are worth it. You're going to ruin your career for that whore."

" _ Shut up! _ " Lance yelled, grabbing her throat again and shoving her up against the wall. " _ SHUT UP! _ "

Laogai smiled, her teeth tinged red. "Did he scream in pain as the toxin killed his kidneys? Or, wait...was he too busy gasping for breath to even attempt?"

The guards turned to look, their eyes wide. "I'm...we can't..."

"Go grab Commander Shirogane." The other ordered, their partner running away.

Laogai laughed. "God, and he went hours without pain medication...his pathetic little whimpers. It's what he deserved. I wish I was the one that gave him those whip marks. Give him a few extra."

Lance let out a strangled noise as his eyes widened in horror before the rage returned and he slammed her head into the wall, tears forming in his eyes. His hand squeezed tighter. "You'll shut up now if you know what's good for you," Lance growled through his teeth.

The guard ran through the medical wing, stopping when someone shouted at him. 

Mila ran up, her eyes wide. "Where's the fire?"

"Cadet McClain...Laogai."

Mila's eyes widened. "Go back. I'll get the Commander," she said, running towards the room, she opened the door and made her way quickly but quietly towards Shiro, nudging him awake. "Commander."

* * *

Laogai gave a breathy laugh. "And those noises. So annoying and yet you fawn over them. Should cut his vocal cords. A bitch shouldn't be allowed to speak anyway."

Lance squeezed his eyes shut, a few tears escaping. His whole body was shaking at this point. He dug his nails into her skin. "Shut up."

Shiro groaned, face scrunching up before he blinked his eyes open blearily. "Mila?" he asked, voice thick with sleep. "Wassamatter?"

"Lance. He went to Laogai," she said.

* * *

Laogai smirked. "Did I strike a nerve?" She gasped. "He lived but at what cost? He's weak now. His lungs and kidneys are probably damaged and scarred. He'll never be the same. Weak; well weaker. He was pathetic. Woe is me mentality. But even if I failed...there are others. Someone will finish the job. All it takes is a moment alone and someone will take out that scum. No wonder his parents left him, he isn't worth the air he's breathing."

* * *

Shiro's eyes widened, immediately awake. He started swearing under his breath, a steady stream of cursing as he extracted himself quickly but efficiently from Keith's bed. "You have to stay here," he said as he managed to pull his foot free to stand. "I said I wouldn't leave him alone, and I can't-"

Mila shook her head. "I won't leave. Go."

* * *

"Shut up!" Lance shouted again, slamming her head into the wall one more time before letting go and stepping back. A few seconds later he had the crosshairs of his rifle pointed at her forehead. "You fucking say one more word," he seethed threateningly. "And you won't have to worry about any Galrans anymore." He blinked around the tears still falling. He needed to be able to see for this.

Shiro nodded, taking her words at face value without question. He took off, leaving the door open as he jogged toward the holding cells. He wasn't prepared for the sight of the pair of guards staring into the cell with their mouths hanging open. "Move your ass or get out of the way," he growled as he approached.

The guards quickly scampered away to let Shiro in. 

Laogai smirked. "And soon you won't have a Galran as a boyfriend anymore. You'll just be burying him."

Shiro panted slightly as he ran in, just catching the last line.  _ What the hell, _ his brain roared as he reached a hand forward. "Lance," he warned.

Lance screamed in rage and pulled the trigger, breathing heavily and ignoring the pain in his right shoulder from the kickback. Tears streamed down his face as he looked through the sight at the hole in the wall next to Laogai's head. Shaking, Lance lowered the rifle slowly, his breath catching in his throat as he sobbed. "You're lucky. Keith's a lot nicer than I am. He wouldn't have wanted me to," Lance said, his voice cracking as he cried. "He's the one who saved you here." He glared hard through the tears. "A  _ Galran _ saved your sorry excuse for a life. I hope you can't handle that." His voice turned angry. "And  _ no one _ will mourn you. You are  _ nothing _ . Nothing."

Lance let the bayard transform back before he dropped it and sank to his knees, head in his hands. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his subconscious registered that his shoulder felt wet, but he pushed it to the side. What had he thought he was going to accomplish here? This hadn't helped at all.

Shiros eyes widened as he dropped to his knees in front of Lance. His hands hovered as though he didn't know where to touch, where was safe. "Lance, what were you  _ thinking, _ ” he chided as he poked gently at the younger man's shoulder.

Lance shook his head. He didn't know how to answer.

Laogai breathed rapidly, her eyes wide before they narrowed. "A Galran did nothing! He's the whole reason why we're in this mess! If the bitch just died while he was on his mission, it would've been out of my hands!" she spat. "If it was up to me, that Galran abomination would've been dead before he even stepped foot on the ship!"

Shiro paused in his ministrations and stood slowly and deliberately. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't hear you correctly," he said, a forced smile on his face. "Would you care to rephrase?”

Lance barely even registered Laogai was still talking. All he could hear were the sounds of his shuddering breaths and his heartbeat, loud in his ears.

Laogai leveled her gaze at Shiro. "The bitch that spreads its legs for you should've died long before it was even given the chance to breathe," she said slowly as if Shiro was too stupid to understand what she was saying. "I should've been able to inject that last bit of fentanyl into its system so its putrid blood would choke him so we would have to hear its stupid noises anymore!" she screamed. "It’s a blight against humanity and it will die! Someone will succeed where I failed and my only wish is that they cause it enough pain that it pleads for death...and then give him more as the creature deserves every ounce of pain it can be given."

Shiro tilted his head sideways. "If you think we're sleeping together, you don't know anything about us," he murmured before picking her up by the throat with his right hand. "I should crush your throat so you choke on your own blood. Eye for an eye, right?" He could tell he was feeling rage, but he was so calm about it. "But I won't let you beg. You don't deserve the privilege."

Lance finally looked up, registering that the shouting had stopped. When he saw Shiro in front of him, holding Laogai to the wall, he blinked. "Shiro," he called, his voice wobbly and not very loud. This wouldn't help. Lance had just found that out. And he knew if Shiro hurt her he would regret it later, even if it was well deserved. Just like he would have. He couldn't give justice for what happened. Neither could Shiro, and it would only hurt themselves if they did anything to her.

Laogai reached up and grasped Shiro's arm, her eyes clenching shut. "Why?" she asked. "Why do you love something so vile? It needs to die so you can be free. That beast has tainted you both. It’s disgusting."

Shiro snorted a little as she clutched at his arm, trying to free herself. It wouldn't work on the prosthetic. He could barely feel anything with it. "My life has been defined by the Galra and how they tortured me. He teaches me that what happened to me doesn't define the race, something you need to learn." He squeezed a little harder, watching her start to turn red. "If they haven't affected you personally, you have no room to talk to me about what the Galra are or what they've done. Especially when the one you're talking about is one I've known for a decade, who is human too. And I don't need to justify why I love someone to you."

Laogai gasped, tears falling from her eyes as she tried to breath. "There's only one place for that maggot; six feet under," she said in a mere whisper. "Even when it was at the Garrison, it followed you around like a damn dog. The bitch sucked you dry, took away all of your potential. Should've left him where he was." She managed to breath out.

"Shiro," Lance called again, a little louder this time, his voice still wet. "It's no use. Just drop her and let's go." He stood shakily, grabbing his bayard and reached out to put a trembling hand on Shiro's shoulder. "She's not going to listen, and we don't need to stand here while she talks shit about Keith." He turned his eyes on Laogai. "Besides, she's no one. Her opinion doesn't matter."  _ I was an idiot, I never should have come here in the first place. All I did was make things worse. _ A few more tears fell.

"He's only ever supported me and made me better, you fucking bigot," Shiro growled before throwing Laogai away, her body thudding against the wall before she sunk down to the floor. "Be glad McClain's here, or there wouldn't be a body left for them to find," he hissed before he turned around and stalked out of the room, blind to the guards standing on either side of the door with wide eyes.

Laogai shook, blackness starting to overtake her vision. "Someone will succeed where I failed!" she shouted towards Shiro. "Your fucking bitch will be dead by the end of the year! I wasn't alone!" She laughed, waning slightly as consciousness started to leave her. "You two aren't always with it. Even now, both of you are here...who is watching your precious whore," she hissed before slumping.

* * *

Keith's brows furrowed, whimpering faintly. Kosmo whined, catching Mila's attention. She frowned as she took in Keith's quivering form and distressed expression. "Keith? Honey, you're okay," she said softly, resting a hand on his arm, her heart lurching as Keith gave out a heartbreaking noise. She glanced at the door, a frown on her face.  _ Come back guys. Keith needs you. _

Lance watched Shiro leave then turned back to Laogai as she finally passed out. "We'll find the others," Lance said quietly, but resolutely. "You won't hurt him again. I won't let you. I don't care if I go to jail. I will protect him no matter what. And that's a promise."

A couple of tears spilled over as he left the cell. There was a dull pain in his chest and Lance could only think that his heart was hurting. It wasn't fair. Keith didn't deserve that kind of hatred. Didn't deserve any of the bad things that life had thrown his way. Why couldn't he just be happy. Lance would give anything.

Shiro gritted his teeth as he stalked to one of the offices, slamming the door open as he walked in. "Fuck!" he shouted as he slammed his hands onto the desk. "What the fuck!" He walked back to the door and slammed it shut, knowing Lance would probably come in anyways but he needed a moment. He sat on the desk and brought his hands up to clutch at his hair, pulling at it as he brought his knees up to his chest and sat on the desk. What the hell was that? Why did he do that? Why was  _ she _ like that? Who the fuck tries to covertly poison someone out of racism?

* * *

Mila grasped Keith's wrist as the man began to shift on the bed, whimpers coming from his occasionally. "Keith, wake up," she said. "It's just a dream, honey." 

Kosmo began nosing at Keith's chin, trying to get him to wake up, whining when it didn't seem to be working. 

* * *

Pain. It was all that Keith could feel. The lashes against his back like ribbons of blood as question after question was called out. Blood dribbled from his lip from him biting it in an attempt to stay silent when all he wanted to do is yell.

\----

"I'm..." Lance started softly, glancing in the direction of one of the guards, but not able to meet their eyes. "...sorry for any trouble we caused...good night." He wiped at his eyes, though it did little good as more tears took the place of the ones he wiped away and started down the hallway. He heard a door slam a ways down from him and then again a short time later. Guilt settled heavily in his gut.  _ I did this to him. I never should have come down here. Why couldn't I just let the Atlas police take care of it? Why did I think confronting her would do any good? _

He continued down the hall until he reached the office he thought Shiro was in and swallowed hard, more tears falling as he knocked on the door. "Shiro?" he called, voice wobbling. "I'm...I'm coming in." Lance turned the knob and entered the room quickly, shutting the door behind him. He stayed near it, hands on his arms and his body curled in slightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered wetly.

Shiro looked up, peering at Lance as he came in and shut the door again. The other man was crying. Shiro wanted to help, but he was hardly in the right state when he was crying angry, bitter tears himself. "What the fuck," he said again, but softer and more incredulous this time. How did people like that exist? His own father didn't wish that on anyone, and he was horrible.

Lance curled forward into himself and backed up until he was against the door. Of course Shiro was angry. Lance had done something stupid and made things worse. "I'm sorry," he tried again. "I should never have come down here, but I thought," Lance groaned in frustration, "I know it was stupid, but I thought that if I got answers it would make sense." Lance sniffled and licked his lips, tasting salt. "But it didn't. There was no logic. Just...just blind hatred. And I can't...I don't...I'm so sorry, Shiro. I never meant-I didn't want...I'm sorry."

* * *

The world shifted and Keith found himself looking at Lance and Shiro. Keith reached out but seemingly couldn't touch them. Keith chirped questioningly, his brows coming together. His eyes widened as Lance suddenly bent in half and vomited blood. Shiro fell to his knees, holding his chest and gasping for breath. Keith called out to them, tears falling from his eyes. 

Mila's eyes glanced upward as she watched Keith's heartbeat increase slightly before looking back at the young man's face. Her heart skipped as she saw tears fall from his clenched lids. "Oh honey."

* * *

Shiro unfolded himself and stood, testing how well his legs would support his body before he walked over to Lance and wrapped him in a hug. "I can understand," he said softly, voice barely above a whisper. "I know how you feel. Felt." His voice cracked, and he knew it wouldn't go back to normal for a while. He couldn't find it in him to care.

Lance stiffened slightly as Shiro walked towards him, but melted quickly into the hug, bringing his arms up almost immediately to the clutch at the back of Shiro's shirt. He pushed his head into Shiro's shoulder and rubbed his forehead back and forth on the fabric. "I'm still so sorry Shiro. I never should have left," he cried softly. "I thought it would help, but I think it just made it worse." He squeezed just a little tighter. "It hurts."

* * *

Mila cursed under her breath as Keith's head started jerking and calling out for Shiro and Lance, pleading for something to stop. She gritted her teeth and started shaking him, desperate for him to wake him up from his night terror. She didn't realize a few tears slipped out of her eye as she shook him.  _ I'm sorry Keith, I'm so sorry, _ she thought.

* * *

Shiro brought his hand up to rub his left hand back and forth on Lance's back. "She can't do anything anymore. We just have to move on."  _ If I can after that episode... _ That was another thing for therapy, it seemed.

"I know," Lance breathed, pulling comfort from the hand running up and down his back. He was still shaking a little. "I know, but I'm so  _ angry _ , Shiro," Lance ground out, the shirt muffling his voice. "I wanted to hurt her. Make her feel everything Keith did and then," he swallowed thickly, "kill her, so she couldn't ever do anything like that again. And the only thing that stopped me was knowing that Keith wouldn't want it. Why couldn't  _ I _ stop me? Why did I do that? I knew it wouldn't change anything. It was just revenge. I'm not-I don't..."

* * *

Mila looked around the room. What could she do? "Keith! Wake up," she ordered the distressed man. She was nearly in tears. Where were Shiro and Lance? Looking back at Keith, she frowned. She had to find something to calm him down. Looking around the room once more, her eyes widened when they fell on the second bed.  _ The pillow, _ she thought. She quickly grabbed and placed it beside Keith's head. Swallowing and hoping the young man's lungs could take it, she slipped the oxygen mask off of Keith's face.

* * *

Shiro shushed softly, pushing his own episode to the back to focus on Lance. He could decompress later. "I know, babe. Believe me, I know. When your base instincts take over...it's a scary thing. Still terrifies me." It was like an override switch that got flipped in your head, white out anger that left you reeling afterwards. Shiro usually didn't know what happened afterwards.

Lance pushed himself closer to Shiro. He wanted to disappear entirely into Shiro's arms, to where it was safe. He wanted to pull Keith in with him. "What if I can't stop myself next time," he asked softly, his voice cracking. The thought terrified him. What if he did something he regretted.

Shiro reached his other hand up to pet Lance's hair gently. "You will. I know you." Lance was good, kind hearted. Only driven to violence when he or Keith were threatened. Not like Shiro. He was the one who would take care of those things if needed, not Keith or Lance. His hands were already drenched. "And if you don't, we'll figure it out."

Lance nodded and took a deep shuddering breath. He could smell a hint of the cologne Shiro always wore and he could feel it unraveling some of the tension in his body. "Thank you," he mumbled into Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro hugged Lance a bit tighter. "You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome. Anytime." He kept carding his fingers through Lance's hair, feeling him grow more pliant in his arms.

* * *

Mila kept a close eye on Keith's oxygen levels as she mentally pleaded that her idea would work. "Come on," she whispered. Her eyes left the monitor as Kosmo jumped off the bed, obviously anxious as he yipped and paced, confused as to what to do.

Shortly after the mask was taken off, Keith's thrashing made him hit Lance's pillow. The young man whimpered and let out a high pitched chirp as tears continued to seep from his eyes but his body started to settle, obviously picking up Lance's scent.

Mila nearly fell to her knees. She started to run her fingers through Keith's matted hair, a frown on her face as a few tears trickled from her eyes.  _ Life keeps screwing you over, honey, _ she couldn't help but think.

_ Keith fell to his knees, tears pouring from his eyes. Shiro's and Lance's heads in his lap, their lifeless eyes peering upward. Around him, the other Paladins, Atlas personnel, and various others circled him screaming vile slurs like "monster", "abomination" and "beast" along with death threats as he bent over the corpses of his mates. _

* * *

Lance let them stand like that for a bit longer, letting Shiro's scent and his warmth and his fingers through his hair, slowly calm him. His shoulders dropped. He hadn't realized he'd been carrying so much tension in them. Next, his knees started to feel a bit weak and he knew that was the sign to stop. "You're gonna put me to sleep if you keep doing that, Shiro." The only thing keeping him up at this point were Shiro's arms and Lance's grip on his shirt.

Shiro chuckled a little. "Good. You need to relax." He stopped though, moving the hand going through Lance's hair to his waist instead to support him. "Can you walk back or do you want me to carry you?" He turned a little red as he asked, not used to offering. He wasn't even sure if they were a thing yet. Both of them. Together. That was an amazing and terrifying thought. Awesome in the truest sense of the word.

Lance laughed a bit, still a little wet, and he sniffled, taking a step back stumbling a little. "Nah, I  _ think _ I can walk?" he said, giving a small laugh as his face heated. "Maybe some other time."

He looked at the spot on Shiro's shirt that he'd laid his head on, about to apologize for getting it wet when he saw something a little further down on the fabric. "Shit," he muttered, turning to look at his shoulder. Yup. "I may have bled on your shirt a little. Sorry." His stitches must have ripped out at some point during his fight with the nurse. He did vaguely remember noticing his shirt felt a little wet earlier. Mila was going to kill him.

* * *

Keith whimpered slightly as he continued to take in Lance's scent. Mila continued to run her fingers through Keith's hair, gently shushing him. She looked up at his oxygen level. It was slowly going down but he wasn't in danger yet. She was afraid that if she placed it back on, Keith wouldn't be able to smell the subtle scent on the pillow through it. "They'll be back soon hun," she tried to reassure. "They'll be back soon."

* * *

Shiro nodded in response to Lance saying he was okay, looking down to follow his gaze from his own shirt to Lance's shoulder and back. "Nothing a wash cycle won't take out." He brushed it off with a shrug, but started looking at Lance's shoulder more intently. "What did you do?"

"I'm guessing I ripped out my stitches," Lance said, looking at his shoulder again. "I would check? But I don't want to take this off and then put a bloody shirt back on. And I don't think I want to walk through the Atlas, shirtless and bleeding."

Shiro snorted a laugh, putting aside his interest at seeing Lance without a shirt again. Blood wouldn't be a good combination for that scenario. "I meant how," he clarified. He had figured the stitches had gotten ripped out.

"I'm not sure. It could have been when I..." Lance trailed off, looking down at the floor, ashamed. His gaze traveled to his right hand at his side. He couldn't see any visible sign that he'd punched anyone recently, but Keith was a good teacher. He knew how to keep his hand safe.

Shiro followed his gaze again. "Punched a bigot in the face?" he guessed.

Lance choked out a laugh at Shiro's bluntness. "Uh...yeah. Or with...with my gun. The kickback."

Shiro nodded. That would do it. "Well. Lesson learned for next time. We'll just teach you to go equally with your left," he reasoned as he looked around at any damage he may have caused. Thankfully the room they were in was pretty bare, and it didn't look like there was any damage. "Ready to head back?"

Lance held up his left arm. With the cast. "This left?" He couldn't help the small smile threatening to poke through at his teasing tone.

Shiro laughed. "Fair point. We'll brush up on kickboxing. "

"Deal." Lance let the smile through. It was still a bit watery, it seemed he just couldn't stop crying, but things had been tense, he supposed. It had slowed a lot, but they just kept coming.

Shiro's smile softened and he reached a hand up to brush away the tears under Lance's eyes. "Hey. It's going to be okay," he reassured softly. "But I bet you'll feel better when we get back to Keith." They could cuddle each other better, even though Shiro wanted nothing more than to snuggle down with both of them and never leave their room again.

"Yeah." Lance leaned into Shiro's hand, and took a deep breath through his nose. "Yeah," he said, his voice soft as he looked up at Shiro.

Shiro smiled down into Lance's eyes, still watery blue but clearing. He couldn't help but lean forward to press a gentle kiss to his forehead, lingering for a moment before pulling away. "I'm not sure we need the talk anymore," he whispered, amusement in his voice.

"Maybe not." Lance huffed a laugh through his nose. He could feel his heartbeat pick up slightly. Was this real? Was this really happening? Did they just-? He needed to know for sure. "Can I just...say one thing?"

Shiro looked down and nodded, curious what Lance wanted to say. He kept the happy look on his face, eyes brighter than when he'd first come into the room. Lance had changed that.

Lance smiled. "Cool," he said, bringing his right hand up to brush the hair from Shiro's eyes before resting on his cheek, then he leaned in, pulling Shiro down slightly to meet him halfway.

Shiro tilted his head, half-preening as Lance brushed the hair from his eyes only to surprise him by guiding him down smoothly into a kiss. 

He was kissing Lance.

Lance had initiated this.

Shiro's eyes slid shut and he leaned into it, arms going to Lance's waist to pull him closer gently. He didn't want to aggravate any injuries. His heartbeat picked up, a steady thrum in his chest as they tested this out.

Lance let Shiro pull him closer, his left arm coming up so his hand could rest on Shiro's bicep as his other curled around the back of his neck. This was his answer. Shiro was kissing him back. Lance smiled into the kiss before breaking it off, pressing his lips once more to Shiro's before leaning back to look at his face.

Shiro chased Lance a little as he broke away, a whine in the back of his throat before the other man pecked his lips again and leaned back. "That was a hell of a statement," he murmured as he searched Lance's face. "You okay?" Was everything good? Hopefully Shiro had made it good. He hadn't been trying, but he'd been surprised and he could, next time, if he were prepared.

"Yeah, I think," Lance smiled. "Can't wait to see what else you got."

Shiro snorted a laugh but turned red down to his neck. "Yeah well. Can't spoil the whole surprise today," he waved off the compliment. "But I liked that. A lot." He paused. "We should do it again sometime. And more cuddling."

"Sounds good to me," Lance said, admiring the blush he'd put on Shiro's face. "We should probably get back." They'd been away for too long again. Lance knew Shiro wouldn't have left Keith alone, so he assumed Mila or Sorey were probably with him, but it would still be better if they were both there. And soon.

Lance leaned up to steal one more kiss before taking Shiro's left hand in his right and turning towards the door. "By the way, red looks good on you."

Shiro nodded his agreement to getting back, leaning easily once he realized Lance was going to steal another kiss. He was still surprised by the other man taking his hand when he laid the next line on him, making him go a little more red. "Yeah?" he said as he brought his right hand up to rub at the back of his neck in awkwardness. "I'm sure I'll get a chance to see it on you too, and it'll be amazing," he countered as he let Lance lead them toward the door, opening it for both of them and holding it for Lance to go through first.

Lance laughed quietly. "I look good in any color," he said cheekily, heading through the door and pulling Shiro after him. 

He laced their fingers together as they walked down the hallway, a small smile on his face before realizing where they were and letting go. "Sorry. I forgot about the pda and stuff. I'll try to be more careful." There wasn't really anyone around to see but there was always a chance of running into someone on their way back.

Shiro let the door snick shut behind them, following Lance down the hallway. He felt a twinge of disappointment when Lance dropped his hand. "It's okay, I forgot for a minute too. We'll just make up for it later." He shot the other man a small smile to try and soften the blow of the situation. 

"Deal," Lance said, smiling back. 

"I left Keith with Mila, so everything should be going smoothly."

Lance nodded. He had unintentionally taken Shiro away from Keith and now he was without both of them again.  _ Hopefully Shiro is right _ , he thought. He knew Mila would take care of him, but he was still worried and still felt guilty. He had just promised not to leave Keith without one of them and yet here they were just hours later. Lance sincerely hoped that Keith was alright otherwise he'd never forgive himself.

Shiro nodded once again and led them toward the medical bay, making sure Lance was keeping up. His stride was a little hurried and the other man was still recovering.

Lance walked quickly next to Shiro. He knew Shiro was just as anxious to get back to Keith as he was. Lance was not prepared for the scene when they arrived, though. Keith looked like he was having a nightmare, Mila was shushing him, and his oxygen mask was off.

"Mila?" Lance asked, hurrying into the room. "What happened?" He moved to stand next to the bed, brushing some hair out of Keith's face.

Shiro stopped in his tracks, looking at Keith. The whimpers and noises were heartbreaking. He moved over quickly next to Lance, putting his hand in Keith's as best he could. "When did it start?"

Mila looked up at Lance and Shiro, tears in her eyes and relief making her shoulders slump. "A night terror. Twenty minutes ago," she said. "He won't wake up and this is the only thing that seems to be working but he needs to put his mask back on but I'm afraid of what will happen if I do," she admitted. 

Keith mumbled under his breath, eyes moving rapidly under clenched lids. "Mian hae. Mian hae," he mumbled over and over again.  _ (I'm sorry.) _

Shiro frowned and used his free hand to pull his shirt off, handing it over. "This probably has more scent than the pillow," he said quietly. But how to snap him out of it? "Maybe it will work even though the mask?"

Lance watched as Shiro handed Mila his shirt. His wouldn't do any good with the blood on it. He hoped Shiro’s scent could pull him out of it.

Mila took Shiro's shirt and folded it a few times before gently tucking it under Keith's cheek. She frowned heavily as Keith chirped quietly. The noise was heartbreaking. She wanted to reach out, comfort him. Through Lance, she had gotten to know Keith - the shy, quiet man that simply wanted a hug or two. He was misunderstood and Mila's heart went out for him. He was a good kid; it was just that no one wanted to take the time to figure that out. 

* * *

_ Keith sobbed over Shiro's and Lance's dead bodies. They wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for him. "Mian hae," he whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Mian hae." He practically pleaded as another sharp lash went across his back.  _

_ Maniacal laughter echoed around him. The same laughter that he heard as he was whipped within the black room. As the whip hit his back once more he couldn't help but think that the whip hurt far less than the pain in his heart. _

* * *

Keith wasn't waking up. He just kept making more distressed noises and saying something in Korean. " _ Cariño _ , wake up. It's just a dream. Wake up," Lance called gently, tears filling his eyes again. He had left and then this happened. He had pulled Shiro away and then this happened. Why did he even go down there? Why did he even think leaving Keith for a second was a good idea. Maybe if they'd both been here when the nightmare started they could have woken him right away, before it had a chance to continue. But now, Keith had been tortured by his mind for twenty minutes while Lance and Shiro were talking.  _ Why am I such an idiot? This is my fault. _

Shiro's face crumpled. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Just wake up," he urged quietly, moving to stand on Keith's other side and rubbing up and down his arm gently.

Keith's face pushed into Shiro's shirt, a whimpering breaking free as he picked up the scent. Mila gave a shaky smile as Keith seemingly started to calm down slightly although his face was still contorted in mental anguish. Her heart skipped a beat when Keith let out a few coughs. Her eyes drifted up to the monitor. His oxygen levels were still good but they were getting close, she would have to put the mask back on him soon and if he didn't calm down soon they would have to give him something to render him unconscious and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Sweetheart, you gotta wake up," Lance said, running his thumb over one of Keith's eyebrows, trying to help relax the muscles and smooth out the frown.

Keith leaned briefly into Lance's touch slightly. 

* * *

_ Keith held his dead mates close to his chest. "You're a monster." _

_ Keith's eyes opened and he slowly leaned back. Lance's blue eyes, usually warm and joyful were cold with hatred as he looked up at Keith. "W-what?" _

_ "Monster," Lance hissed as he slowly sat up. "We wouldn't be dead if it wasn’t for your stupid ass. Why couldn't you catch a hint? We didn't want you! We only stayed with you out of pity!" _

_ Each word was like a dagger to Keith's heart, tears falling from his eyes.  _

_ "Should've abandoned you like your parents did."  _

_ Shakingly, Keith looked at Shiro, the man's eyes dark and angry. "You've done nothing but disappoint us." Shiro continued to hiss. "Fucking abomination, done nothing but ruin my life and fuck, I'm stuck with you too!" _

_ Keith looked at both of his mates, heart crumbling as they continued to fling hurtful words at him, his worst nightmare come to life.  _

_ "We will never love you!" they shouted in unison.  _

* * *

Keith's eyes snapped open, his body instinctually sitting up as he gasped for breath and tears falling from his eyes as his back muscles quivered with unfelt pain.

Lance jumped back as Keith shot up, narrowly avoiding being headbutted. "Keith? You're safe, you're in the med bay. It was just a nightmare." Lance gently reached out to fold his hand over one of Keith's.

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief, leaning forward to press both hands to Keith's free one. "We're both here," he said. "You're okay. Everyone is okay."

Keith's eyes frantically looked around before settling on his two boyfriends, fear shining brightly within his eyes. His body shaking as he came out of his night terror.

Mila slowly approached Keith. “Honey, do you know where you are?" she asked, softly.

Keith's eyes jerked towards Mila. Slowly, Kosmo crawled onto the bed and pushed his way closer to Keith. He lowered himself down and inched his way forward until his head laid in Keith's lap and began licking Keith's forearm. With a shaky hand, Keith placed it on top of Kosmo's head, fingers curling slightly into the thick fur. 

"Do you know who that is?" Mila asked, trying desperately to gauge Keith's cognitive awareness. 

"K-kosmo," he answered shakingly and hoarsely.

Lance swallowed and listened as Mila talked to Keith, not wanting to interrupt.

Shiro nodded. "Good, that's good." He was scared, but trying not to show it.

Mila nodded. "I need to put your mask back on," she said quietly. "Or would you prefer if Shiro or Lance did it?" she asked. 

Keith's eyes drifted downward towards Kosmo before they shut. It was obvious he was trying to calm himself down. To stop shaking and to pause the turmoil that was going through his head right now. A bead of sweat fell down from his hairline and he wanted to wipe it away but his hands refused to move. 

Kosmo continued to lick Keith's forearm, giving the young man something to focus on. 

"Honey, I need an answer." Mila slightly urged, hearing the wheezing tone that Keith's breathing started to take on. 

"You," Keith whispered. The other two wouldn't want to touch filth anyways.

Lance was slightly confused by the answer. It seemed like there was something more there, but instead of pushing it, Lance just leaned forward a little again to wipe away the sweat that was nearing Keith's eye. Lance tried to look Keith in the eye, concern etched on his face.

Shiro frowned and squeezed Keith's hand gently, trying to be supportive.

Mila slowly reached out and slipped the mask back over Keith's nose and mouth, trying not to react to Keith flinching at the ginger touch. Mila took a few steps back once the mask was secure. She looked at the three men and knew that there was nothing she could do right now. It was all in the hands of Lance and Shiro. Slowly, she eased herself out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her. Behind the safety of the door, she let her tears fall. 

Back in the room, Keith's eyes caught Lance's movement but Keith refused to meet Lance's eyes. He couldn't. Instead he wrapped his arms around Kosmo's neck loosely, petting him lightly with his fingertips.

"Keith?" Lance asked, looking at Shiro again and then back, confusion on his face. "Sweetheart? Are you okay? Will you look at me?"

Shiro looked concerned as he locked eyes with Lance, but didn't know what to do. Hopefully he'd react to Lance. What was the dream? What had it been to make him so jumpy?

Keith kept his attention on Kosmo, the wolf simply content to lay in Keith's lap as he tried to calm down. Eventually, his eyes drifted towards the additional pillow and shirt on it. A glance at his boyfriends was his answer as to where the shirt came from. His hand was still shaking slightly but he reached out and grabbed the shirt, holding it out to Shiro all while looking away from the duo, his eyes trained on the top of Kosmo's head.

_ Oh. _ Lance's heart dropped, and he felt a little sick. "I'm sorry," Lance said clearly, even though his eyes were filling with more tears. "I told you I wasn't going to leave and I did and I'm sorry. I thought I had a good reason, I thought I'd be right back, but I didn't and I wasn't and I wasn't here when you needed me and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. And I took Shiro too, I'm sorry. Be mad at me, not him. He didn't want to leave, but he had to come get me. I'm sorry," Lance's voice cracked. " _ I'm so sorry. _ "

Lance shut his eyes and hung his head as the first of his tears fell. He held his hands in front of him, worrying his fingers. If Keith was mad, he probably wouldn't want Lance touching him right now.

Shiro took the shirt gingerly, making sure not to touch Keith. He wasn't sure if he wanted contact right now. "But we're back now, and ready to do whatever you need to do to feel better," he murmured as he slipped the shirt back on, not knowing if being shirtless was making Keith uncomfortable.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lance worrying his fingers, his words causing confusion to grow within Keith; his mind warring between the dream and the reality that was around him. Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on top of Lance's and slowly shook his head. It wasn't Lance's fault. It wasn't Shiro's. Keith was just a burden. They didn't need to stay in the room 24/7 with him. That wasn't fair and Keith would never ask that of them. Hearing Shiro's words, Keith's eyes flickered up to him before falling once more. Moments before, those eyes were filled with so much hatred. "Silheo," he managed to whisper.  _ (Hate me.) _

Lance sucked in a breath and opened his eyes as Keith laid one of his hands over his own. He saw Keith shake his head. He wasn't mad? He wanted to ask. Why then?  _ Why won't you look at me? _ At the foreign word, Lance blinked and a few more tears rolled down his cheeks. "What?"

Shiro tilted his head. "I don't know what happened in your nightmare, but we would never hate you," he said softly. "I don't think we ever could."

Lance's eyes widened. "What?" he exclaimed. "No! We don't hate you. Not even the tiniest bit. Never." Lance shook his head to emphasize his point, taking a step closer to the bed and turning one of his hands to hold Keith's in his own. "We love you." Lance was sure there was a look of panicked horror on his face as he tried to reassure Keith. How could Keith think-?

Keith couldn't stop the tears from slipping from his eyes nor tipping into Lance's chest. Kosmo whined but stayed where he was. He wanted to reach out to Shiro, bring him closer but his arms wouldn't cooperate.

Lance turned his still slightly panicked look to Shiro as Keith leaned into him, his arms going up automatically to hold him there, his cast arm resting lightly across Keith's shoulders and his other hand threading into his hair.  _ Just what exactly happened in that dream? _ he wondered as he looked down at his boyfriend in his arms, a few of his tears dripping from his chin into black hair. "We love you," he said again, softer this time.

Shiro came around the bed to stand next to Lance, leaning down so he was in the hug as well. "We love you so much," he reassured. He nuzzled his head slightly against Lance's arm to reassure him as well. "So, so much."

Keith clenched his eyes as Lance and Shiro spoke. A quivering hand came up to cover his eyes. "I'm sorry...I'll be fine...just give me a few seconds," he rasped, trying desperately to calm himself.

Shiro hummed. "Take your time. We'll be right here." He kept humming, falling into a familiar tune he couldn't place.

Lance nodded, letting his fingers move gently in Keith's hair, scratching his scalp lightly. "Anything," he whispered. That was...scary. What the heck had just happened. Lance was still crying silently.  _ I'm going to get dehydrated again _ , he thought wryly, before the thought passed and he focused on Shiro's soft humming. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Keith leaned heavier into Lance's chest, slowly calming down. He could feel the unasked questions floating around, it setting him slightly on edge. Why weren't they asking him? He swallowed. He was so tired, the nightmares ruining any chance of truly restful sleep but he also knew he wouldn't be able to even fathom it right now. Their hateful eyes were still at the forefront of his mind. 

"After the Blade trial..." he started quietly, "I couldn't look at myself in a mirror for two weeks."

Lance blinked, confused at the sudden start of a story...that had happened a long time ago, but he stayed silent. Hugging Keith a little tighter in encouragement.

Shiro nodded. He had noticed how much of a toll the trials had taken on him. He kept humming softly, trying to urge him onwards

Keith's hand slipped downward, lightly grasping Lance's cast, needing the grounding. "I was afraid that I would wake up like I felt, like a monster. An animal," he continued. "Everything that everyone else views me as once they know my heritage," he admitted, an insecurity that he kept close to his heart.

"You're not-" Lance started, but stopped himself. It didn't seem like Keith was done. He would wait, and then he would say everything and anything to make him believe that none of it was true.

Keith's hand tightened on Lance's cast. "I was always different from everyone else, even with Voltron. I pushed you all away, even left you guys at one point in an attempt to stop myself from getting attached. I didn't want to. Most people end up leaving me when I'm no longer of use or they grow sick of me," he continued, "but I did. I grew attached to all of you. And...I'm fucking terrified that one day you'll wake up and realize that I'm nothing but a monster like so many people think I am. I'm not even safe in the Atlas anymore." Tears fell from his eyes as his exhaustion made his barriers fall.

"Keith," Shiro said softly, a little bemused and exasperated. "I've known you longer than anyone. I'm never leaving you," he reiterated. He'd hoped that several years of friendship and now more would have made that clear, but obviously it hadn't. "We're here for you. We'll keep you safe."

Keith closed his eyes as he listened to Shiro's words, the slight exasperation in the tone making his heart clenched. He wanted this insecurity gone but every nightmare he had showcased it. It’s been used against him as a weapon…

"I'm not either," Lance said, swallowing. "Never. I could never leave you." Lance gently pulled Keith back so he could tilt his head up to look him in the eye. Keith had to know he was serious. "You're not a monster. You're not an animal. You're Keith. And we love you. We'll protect you. And we'll never leave you. Ever. I don't know what else to tell you to make you understand how impossible it would be for me to leave." Lance huffed a laugh. "You are so important to me. I love you so much. I'll do anything, say anything, as many times as you need if it will help you believe. I'll tell you I love you every time I catch your eye. I'll hug you and kiss you every time we stand next to each other or even if I just see you across the room. I'll," Lance stopped to smile, heart warming, "I'll marry you. Tie you to me like you tied me to you when you imprinted on me. I don't want to go anywhere, unless it's with you."

Shiro sucked in a breath and held it, stunned. He...hadn't expected that.

Keith’s train of thought was broken as Lance took his face into his hands, the kind blue eyes locking with his purple ones. Tears flowed freely as Lance spoke, Keith's heart skipping a beat when Lance practically proposed to him. Keith's head tipped forward, tears falling onto his lap. "Then why? What do I keep doing wrong? Why do those I think are allies hurt me? I just wanted to come  _ home, _ " he sobbed.

Lance pulled Keith back into his chest. "You are home. You, me, and Shiro, that's home. You're not doing anything wrong. It's the world that's wrong, sweetheart. Sometimes wolves dress as sheep and even your nose can't sniff 'em out, and while that's sucky, that's what Shiro and I are here for. To kick ass for you. But you have to remember that more often than not, the sheep are just sheep. Like Mila, like Pietro, like Hunk, Pidge, Coran, Allura, Shay, Sorey. They all love you too. Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that for one bad thing, there are a hundred good things. And if you can't do that yourself, come to me or Shiro and we can help you remember, okay? You are so loved,  _ cariño _ . So, so loved."

Shiro's voice came back to him as he listened to Lance speak. "We'll always be home, and we'll always be here for you," he reassured. "Forever. As long as you'll have us."

Keith simply nodded, still weeping but content to stay in Lance's arms.

Lance smiled softly, letting his right hand go back to threading gently through Keith's hair. Even if it wasn't the ideal circumstance, it felt good to have Keith in his arms again.

Shiro let out a sigh of relief, moving to hold Lance and, by proxy, Keith in his arms. He wanted to heap praise on them, but felt like now might not be the time.

After a few minutes, Keith calmed himself enough to lean back slightly from Lance. "Sorry I got your-" He broke off when he saw blood on Lance's shirt, his brows furrowing as he reached out and touched it gently. "Lance?"

"Yeah?" Lance asked, looking down at Keith. He saw where Keith was looking and held in a hiss when he pressed his fingers lightly to his shoulder. "Oh, I uh...kind of ripped my stitches, but I'll get 'em redone, no big deal."

Keith's eyes glanced upward. "How? Did I hit them?"

Shiro grimaced a little out of sight of the others. This wasn't going to be pretty, probably. "No, it happened while we were gone."

"Yeah," Lance said, debating what to actually say. He didn't want to worry Keith, but he didn't want to lie. Lance sighed. "I may have gotten into a small fight while I was gone." His voice was quiet.

Keith's eyes widened slightly as he looked at his two boyfriends. "What?" he asked.

Shiro nodded. "I went to go break it up and made it a little worse," he admitted softly. "But things are...okay now," he tried. He had no way of knowing that.

"Yeah." Lance sighed. Okay was a word for it.  _ Fuck it. I won't lie. _ His face contorted as he prepared to just say it. "I went to see Laogai." Lance hung his head, looking down at the bed sheets.

Keith pulled himself completely out of Lance's arms, his eyes narrowing at Lance. "Laogai? Why? Why would you go see her?"

Lance sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to sit on any wires, folding his arms in his lap and looking at his fingers as he worried them around each other. "I thought I needed answers. That hearing her explain would help somehow?" Lance shrugged. "I don't know. It made sense at the time, but...it just made things worse. I..." Lance stopped as bits and pieces of her words came back to him, forcing tears to his eyes again.

Shiro released them both as Keith pulled away. He chewed on his lower lip again, waiting for Lance to try to come up with words.

Keith couldn't help but look at Lance in awe. This wasn't like him or Shiro. They left him for this? After they promised they wouldn't?

"Did you get any?" Keith couldn't help but ask, his words harsher than he wanted them to be.

"Not any that I wanted," Lance answered quietly, his voice small. " _ I'm sorry _ ."

"So you got reinjured for nothing," Keith whispered. "What answers were you expecting?" he asked, his tired purple eyes looking imploringly at Lance.

Lance flinched. "I...I don’t know? I guess I was hoping that she'd tell me that she was brainwashed by druids or Haggar threatened her family. I just...didn't want to believe that someone could..." Lance paused to take a shuddering breath, then continued, his voice cracking. "Could  _ hate _ you for no reason. Just because of some stupid blood." He shook his head.

Keith chuckled mirthlessly. "You thought you could get an answer for something I’ve wondered since my dad died?" Keith croaked, his throat starting to hurt from speaking. "Being Galran is just the newest reason on top of a very long list, Lance."

Shiro stretched out a hand to put on Keith's shoulder. "He...hasn't seen it before," he said softly. "I can understand why he went, even if I know it was pointless too."

Lance squeezed his eyes shut and let more tears fall. " _ I’m sorry _ ." He held his fingers tighter together to keep his hands from shaking.

Shiro stretched out the other hand to rub circles on Lance's back, trying to give him some comfort. Although he did something stupid, that didn't mean he had to suffer. They had all done stupid things before.

Keith reached out and grasped Lance's hands. He tried to pull the Cuban closer but his strength was waning. "I'm not mad," Keith muttered. He was disappointed. Scared. Heartbroken. He wasn't worth getting injured for and he wasn't worth keeping a promise towards either.

Lance opened his eyes when he felt Keith tug lightly on his hands. He looked up slowly, not sure what expression he’d find on Keith's face, but he didn't look mad, just like he said. Lance scooted closer in small motions giving Keith plenty of time to tell him to back off, but when he didn't, Lance ended up sitting almost hip to hip with him. Lance looked down at his lap again. "I'm still sorry. For leaving. For getting hurt again. For not being here," he said quietly.

Keith turned slightly, a short flash of pain erupting from his broken rib, but he pushed his forehead against the side of Lance's neck nonetheless. He wished the mask was off so he could push his nose in, smell Lance fully, as well. "How did you get hurt?" he asked softly. Did he hit her? Did she hit him?

Lance leaned his head lightly on Keith's and fiddled with his fingers, knowing Keith wasn't going to be very happy with what came out of his mouth next. "I'm not entirely certain when it happened..." he started, then lifted his head and looked away. "But it was either when I...punched...her...or when I...shot...near her with my bayard..."

"You shot her?" Keith repeated, voice pitching high as he leaned back once more. A series of coughs tore out of him, once done, he narrowed his eyes at Lance. "Is she still alive?"

Shiro looked at Lance. He...actually wasn't sure on that one. He thought he'd left her alive.

"Near," Lance clarified, turning to look at Keith. "Near her. She's still alive, unconscious when I left, but...I didn't even graze her." He wasn't too sure on how much of his darkness he wanted to reveal. Shiro knew and he didn't seem to think less of him, he had no reason to think Keith would. He would still love me...right? Lance took a deep breath. "I...wanted to. She would have deserved it, but I couldn't. You stopped me. I knew you wouldn't have wanted me to."

"Damn right I wouldn't have wanted you to!" Keith snapped, anger bubbling up within him. "What the fuck were you thinking, Lance?" He looked at Shiro, his eyes inflamed with anger. "What about you, Takashi? Did you join in? Knock her around as well?"

"What? No!" Lance groaned in frustration and stood, walking away from the bed and running his hand through his hair, then turning back to Keith. "That wasn't my point!"

"I was thinking she was saying shit she shouldn't," Shiro snipped. "I lost my cool, picked her up and threw her once Lance calmed me down. Once he realized what he'd done wouldn't help, he stopped and helped me stop." He felt like he was going to be sick. "Why does this have to be a fight?"

"Because you two did something idiotic!" Keith snapped before breaking off to cough. He looked at Lance as the Cuban paced. "If I did the same thing you two would be jumping down my throat. I understand why you two did it but forgive me for being a little pissed off that my two boyfriends thought it would be a good idea to assault someone and potentially throw their futures away!" Keith slammed his hand against the bed as he bent over to cough, his throat and lungs not exactly on board with the screaming that he was doing.

Lance growled in frustration again as he paced, gripping his hair, before running his hand down his face and hissing quietly as he pressed hard on his bruise. He whirled around to face Keith. "She almost killed my future, Keith!" Lance yelled, angrily blinking away tears that escaped down his cheeks. "Forgive me," he mocked dryly, "if I wasn't entirely rational for a moment!"

Shiro's eyes widened. "Hey, okay. We need to stop now. This isn't good for either of you," he said as he eyed Keith's monitors, which were starting to go a little crazy. "You can tell us all about how out of line we were when you're not in the hospital." He raised his hands in a hopefully placating gesture.

"Stop being the fucking referee for a moment," Keith snapped at Shiro. "I'm pissed at you too. How could you think that this was okay at all? Do I need to assign babysitters to you guys whenever I get sick?" he continued. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you guys about the others!"

Shiro sighed, exasperated. "If that makes you feel better, sure. I just want you to calm down so you get out of the hospital sooner. Then you can kick my ass, alright?" He paused. "Wait, others?"

"Oh my god," Lance muttered incredulously. "Oh my god. I can't even believe you right now. Seriously? What, you thought if you told me someone called you a name that I'd go bat shit crazy and shoot them in the head? She tried to kill you Keith. And yeah, I may have punched her in her racist face, but I left her alive. So, clearly, I can control myself. Do you not trust us? Is that it?" Lance's voice broke as he finished.

Keith glared at Lance. "I trust you with a lot fucking more than I trust a lot of other people with," he hissed. "My heart. My body. My past. And trust me, I know she tried to kill me. I was there remember? I was the one vomiting blood. I was the one in fucking excruciating pain!" Keith continued. "And congratulations on not being a fucking murderer, Lance. I'm so proud of you," he seethed. "And everything that I wholeheartedly trust you with, apparently I can't trust you two to keep a fucking promise."

Shiro looked at Keith, took in his anger. The taller man stood silent and still. "We can't go," he started. "I'm not leaving you alone again. But do you want us to be on the other side of the room?" They were all clearly upset, and this still wasn't helping anything.

Lance flinched, eyes widening, his eyes filling with more tears and spilling over as Keith's words landed like daggers in his heart and each stab made it beat faster. There was a race going on in his chest and it was making it hard to breathe. "I..." Lance sobbed. He was right. Lance had made a promise and he'd broken it almost directly after. Keith was mad, furious, and he had every right to be. Lance had fucked up. Big time. Keith looked like he wanted to hit him, it had been a really really long time since he'd seen that look on his face and he was surprised at how much it hurt. 

Lance gasped as his chest constricted. He couldn't breathe with those eyes on him like that. He never wanted to see that look and he'd put it there. God, Keith must hate him right now. 

Lance whined quietly and shut his eyes as he tried to focus on getting more air into his lungs. Maybe not seeing that purple glare would help. He leaned against the wall he'd somehow ended up near and grasped at his chest, fingers clenching in his shirt. Keith was mad. He'd messed up. Keith was mad. He broke his promise. Keith was mad.  _ I can't breathe. _

Shiro looked to Lance as he started breathing raggedly, hand to his chest. "Lance," he said, concern making his voice pitch higher as he moved over to him, putting a hand on him. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. Just focus on breathing with me, okay?" He didn't think he'd seen him have a panic attack before.

Lance tensed when he felt Shiro's hand on him and he gasped again, trying to breathe through his tears. He noticed little black dots encroaching in his vision when he blinked his eyes opened. His breaths were coming too short. He vaguely remembered this from attacks he'd had when he was younger. If he didn't calm down soon he was going to pass out, but his mind wouldn't focus on that point. He just kept hearing Keith's yelling and seeing his glare, and knowing he did that. He tried to focus on Shiro, but through the black dots and the tears he could barely see him and the only thing he could hear was his heartbeat, loud in his ears.

Kosmo whined loudly and slowly made his way towards Lance, crouched low to the ground. Once close enough, he rubbed up against Lance's legs and underneath Lance's hand, trying to gain his attention, something he did for Keith when the Korean had an anxiety attack. 

Keith's heart clenched when he saw Lance start to have a panic attack. He looked away, tears falling from his eyes. He fucked up. He made his boyfriend have a fucking panic attack. He was pathetic. He had a nightmare, he didn't die. Lance and Shiro messed up, yes, but... _ I'm fucking horrible. Should've just let the bitch kill me. _

Shiro put an arm around Lance's shoulders as he started to wobble slightly. "Okay. We're just gonna sit on the ground for now and pet Kosmo, okay? He's been such a good dog and he deserves to be pet, so we need to do that now. Okay?" He looked up to Keith, seeing him crying as well, but he could only do one thing at a time. Lance was the more pressing risk right now.

Lance whined quietly again and nodded, letting his knees buckle so he could slide down the wall. His hand stayed on Kosmo's head and he shakily moved his fingers through the fur there.  _ Remember, Lance, what was it again _ ... _ five things you can see. _ Lance let his eyes jump around the room, trying to focus on things long enough to figure out what they were through his blurry vision.  _ Keith. A bed. The door. Kosmo. Shiro _ . He took a slightly deeper breath.  _ Okay, four things you can touch. Kosmo. The wall. The floor. My shirt. _ His heartbeat started to slow and he took another deeper breath.  _ Three things you can hear. Shiro talking. The monitors. Kosmo whining. _ Lance closed his eyes and took another slow breath.  _ Now two things you can smell. _ He breathed in, focusing as his heartbeat slowed again.  _ Antiseptic. Shiro's cologne _ . Lance took a few more deep breaths, his heartbeat almost back to normal although tears still fell from his eyes.  _ Good, one more. One thing you can taste. _ Lance swallowed.  _ Salt. _ Lance sighed and lowered his head onto his arm he had draped over his knees. His shoulders still shook from crying, but he could breathe now. He hadn't had a panic attack in years. He had thought he was done. Apparently not.

Shiro kept talking throughout, trying to give Lance something to ground himself. Apparently it worked, as his breathing slowed and he appeared to calm down. He let out a sigh of relief. "Lance. How are you feeling?"

Lance shook his head and didn't say anything. He couldn't talk right now. He tugged Kosmo just a little closer. He was so lost. He didn't know what to do. How could he fix this. Would Keith ever forgive him?  _ I'm such an idiot. _

Kosmo whined quietly and leaned into Lance's hug.

Shiro nodded. "Okay. That's okay. Take your time," he murmured as he rubbed circles onto his back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith watched as Shiro and Kosmo helped Lance. He wanted to go over there, but he felt like he wouldn't exactly help and it wasn't like his legs would actually support his weight. At least Shiro and Kosmo could help him. That's what was important.

Lance sat for a few more moments, letting his tears run their course as he pet Kosmo and focused on Shiro's hand on his back. Finally, when the tears slowed, Lance sniffled and lifted his head. "Sorry," he mumbled quietly. He had hoped they'd never see that. It was a bit embarrassing.

"No. I should be the one apologizing," Keith said softly, his voice hoarse.

Lance turned his head to look at Keith out of the corner of his eye, eyebrows pushed together in confusion. "Why?" he croaked. His throat hurt.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," Keith sighed before coughing slightly. Once it passed, he continued speaking. "I understand why you did it and while I'm infuriated that you did, I shouldn't have screamed at you or said half the stuff I did. It wasn't right and I'm sorry."

Lance shook his head. "It wasn't anything I didn't deserve. You only told the truth."

Keith closed his eyes and shook his head. With a shaky hand, he pushed his oxygen mask firmly against his face, simply focusing on breathing for a second, his lungs calling for more air. His head tipped forward slightly, his hair falling to hide his face as he continued to breath deeply. "There were other ways to hash it out, ways that wouldn't cause you to have a panic attack," Keith managed to croak out.

Shiro nodded in agreement to both perspectives. "Your reaction is understandable, but probably not the best in this scenario."

Keith frowned. His boyfriends were too forgiving sometimes. Keith didn't say anything choosing to sit there and breathe deeply, his stats slowly crawling back to normal. 

The door opened and Mila popped in, her eyes going to Keith's monitor before they slid over to see Lance curled up and Keith hiding behind his hair. Her brow furrowed as confusion enveloped her.  _ What happened? _ she thought. "Everything okay in here?"

Keith shook his head. "Lance needs new stitches," he croaked out.

"And from the way you sound, you need to rest your throat," Mila rebutted before her eyes turned towards Lance. Part of her wanted to yell. She told him to be careful, to not tear his stitches, but his crumpled form kept her silent on the topic. It was obvious Keith already beat her to the yelling. 

"Climb on a bed honey. I'll be back in a minute with supplies," she said before sliding out of the room.

Lance looked up as Mila left and took a shuddering breath. He hugged Kosmo one more time before pushing back against the wall and using the leverage to help him stand. He walked slowly over to his unoccupied bed and sat down on the edge, staring at the ground, hands at his sides. He was still shaking. He didn't know how he was going to get through stitches, someone was going to have to hold him steady.

Kosmo hung close to Lance, staying beside his side in case he needed the extra support. Once Lance settled on the bed, he jumped up and laid his head in Lance's lap.

Lance looked down at Kosmo and brought a shaky hand up to pet the fur on his head. "Thanks, boy," he muttered quietly. 

Kosmo yipped quietly at Lance, closing his eyes and snuggling into Lance's lap. 

Shiro watched as Kosmo helped Lance over to the bed, standing as Lance settled. He moved over to Keith and pressed a kiss to his hair, hoping the other man wouldn't get mad at him for it. "It's going to be okay," he reassured the room. He needed it himself as well.

Keith shook his head. "Go to Lance. He needs you more right now," Keith mumbled, weakly pushing Shiro away.

Shiro felt a little sting at being pushed away, but let it be soothed by the fact that Keith was trying to help Lance. "Alright," he agreed and headed over to the Cuban and stood near him. He still had fine tremors wracking his body - this was going to be interesting. "Hey Lance. I'm gonna be right here with you, okay?" He rested a hand on his good shoulder to try and ground him.

Lance nodded at Shiro’s reassurances, letting the hand on his shoulder steady him. He couldn't tell if he was shaking because of the leftover effects of the attack or if it was because he was still crying.

Keith kept himself turned away, head bowed. He kept a hand on his mask as he tried to take in as much oxygen as he could, his body feeling weak. He wanted to lay back down but he was afraid of jarring his broken rib again so forced himself to stay sitting.

Lance sat in silence, focusing on his breathing while he pet Kosmo. He didn’t know what to say. Keith was still mad, Lance was still mad, still upset, still felt guilty. He didn't know how to say sorry any other way. He just wanted all this to be over. He wanted to lay down next to Keith and Shiro and sleep. He wanted them to be home when he woke. He wanted Keith to look at him like he used to. Like he loved him. Lance knew the look would come back eventually, but it still hurt that he couldn't see it now, so soon after he’d almost lost it forever.

Keith glanced over his shoulder at Shiro and Lance, Kosmo nestled in the Cuban's lap in an attempt to calm him down. "Is he okay?" Keith asked hoarsely, his throat raw.

"I'm fine," Lance mumbled.

Shiro nodded. "He'll be okay," he responded, watching Kosmo calm Lance down. "And after this I'll see about getting the beds together again so we can take a nap, if that's okay with you Keith." He looked up at the Korean man, unsure if he'd let them so soon after their missteps had been revealed.

Keith looked at the two. The idea of laying down, especially nestled between his two mates sounded wonderful. He nodded slightly before turning back around. 

Mila reentered the room, pushing a small cart full of medical supplies. She gave Lance a small smile. "You doing okay?"

No. "Yeah." Lance lifted his head and smiled weakly at Mila. He wiped away the tracks of tears on his cheeks and sniffled.

Mila gave Lance a small, sad smile. "Let's get you stitched up again then you can go cuddle, okay?" she said before starting to help Lance get his shirt off.

Lance glanced at Keith who still wasn't looking at them, and nodded. Lance let Mila peel his shirt over his head, carefully unsticking the bloody part. He tensed in pain, his face contorting as she peeled it off, some parts had dried to the skin around the wound already. 

Once the shirt was off, Lance turned to look at his shoulder. It looked like he reopened it slightly when he ripped the stitches. There was more blood on his skin than showed through the shirt and Lance was mildly surprised. He wasn't covered in it and it wasn't running down his chest, but it still kind of looked like it might be oozing. He wondered if the stitches on his back were okay.

Shiro looked over the stitches, curious how badly he'd ripped them open. It looked like it might still be bleeding a bit, which made him wince. That wasn't the worst thing ever, but it was far from how it should be.

Mila frowned at the damage she saw but kept silent. She pulled on a pair of gloves and started to clean up the wound with some disinfectant. "I'm guessing Keith wasn't too happy you saw Laogai," she said quietly, quiet enough so Keith couldn't hear her.

Lance shook his head. That was...an understatement.

Shiro wanted to laugh at how much of an understatement that was, but he stayed quiet and watched Mila work.

Mila nodded as she continued to clean. "Everyone on the floor understands why you did it. We all want to give her a piece of our mind." She glanced at Keith, the young man sitting by himself, hunched over slightly. " Are night terrors common with him?"

Lance's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Mila to sympathize with him. He thought she'd yell. Maybe even hit him. His expression fell. "Not that I'm aware of," Lance answered quietly.

Shiro shook his head. "As far as I know, the only time he had them was when he was on sleeping medication. Which is why he doesn't take it." Gods knew the man needed to rest, but the universe wasn't having any of it. Shiro ran his hand over Lance's hair absentmindedly.

Mila hummed quietly. She placed the pad that she was using and picked up a small tube. She opened it and used the clear gel to start numbing the skin she would be stitching. "I’ll check your back while that kicks in," she said as she moved behind Lance. "I saw that on his medical records," she replied towards Shiro's statement. "...Poor guy. Get tortured for 3 days then come home only to get poisoned and have all sense of security thrown out the window," she mumbled. "Your back looks okay, so only have to deal with your front."

"Mila," Lance said quietly, sadly. He didn't want to hear that.

Shiro sighed a little and played with Lance's hair more. He wasn't exactly sure where he should or could touch yet, and his head seemed safe.

Mila sighed but headed back around to the other side of the bed. "That's the reality," she stated quietly, her tone still soft so she didn't disturb Keith. She let out a slow breath. "You two are hurting. I...we all understand that. Keith understands that," she pressed. "You both went through something traumatic and all three of you need to sit down and hash that out, the sooner the better in my opinion." She looked over her shoulder once more at Keith a frown on her lips before she turned back towards Lance. She started getting the needle threaded as she continued. "God only knows what's going on in his head right now," she muttered. "Especially when we still have no idea what happened while he was gone nor has he had the chance to really sit down and process it before he was being hurt again," she continued before shaking her head and then looking Lance in the eye. "I love you like a brother, Lance and because of that I'm giving you some sisterly advice, sit down and talk to your boyfriend? And give him a hug. You both could use one."

"I don't really think he wants me near him right now," Lance mumbled. He leaned slightly into Shiro's hand. His fingers running through his hair felt so nice. And it comforted him to know that at least Shiro wasn't really mad at him. There was that at least.

Mila reached up and gently pressed her finger into the center of Lance's forehead. "Talk to him." She pressed before holding up a needle. "And now I'm gonna stitch you up," she said with a small smile before starting to do just that.

Lance hummed and focused on petting Kosmo as she began to stitch him back together. He would try, but Lance knew he'd messed up and he wasn't sure Keith was going to forgive him so quickly.

Shiro watched the two of them before Mila started to stitch Lance back together. She really was acting like a big sister should. He suddenly missed his own sister terribly. "He's mad, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be near us," he said softly. "We've got to try."

Mila nodded in agreement to what Shiro said as she finished off the stitches. "Don't tear these please," she said as she took off her gloves and threw them on the tray. "Go make up with your boyfriend," she said before she headed out, wanting to give the three men privacy.

"Thanks, Mila," Lance muttered. He didn't get up when she left though. He let the silence hang heavy in the room as he slowly moved his hand over Kosmo's head, again and again. He didn't know how to broach this. He didn't want to fight again.

Shiro waited for Lance to say something, move, but he didn't. He looked around. "Let's get you a new shirt," he suggested, looking around to find one of the hospital scrub tops located not terribly far away. Mila must have laid it there.

Shiro held up the top. "Lance, think you can let me help you into this and then we'll head over to Keith?" The two of them certainly weren't going to make a move on their own, so Shiro was going to have to do some of the heavy lifting until they started getting along again.

Lance looked up at Shiro and nodded, putting his arms out slightly in front of him.

Keith heard Shiro and pushed the mask firmly onto his face, his other hand coming to rest on the left side of his rib cage. In all honesty, he wanted to fall over, lay down but he couldn't, not with his rib and not without help but Lance needed Shiro. So he sat. Silently. Like he was taught to do.

Shiro smiled. "Good," he murmured before helping Lance into the shirt, taking care not to pull on the new stitches or any of the old ones. "Now, why don't you head over by Keith so I can drag this bed over and attach it so we can all get comfortable?"

Lance briefly glanced at Keith out of the corner of his eye, then lifted his head to see better. His eyebrows furrowed, Keith didn't look okay. "Shiro," Lance murmured, gesturing with a hand as he stood slowly.

Shiro's brow furrowed before he followed where Lance was gesturing to, seeing Keith looking... not right. "Hey babe," Shiro said as he headed over. "What's wrong, do you need something?"

Keith shook his head. He was fine. "Lance," he croaked. Shiro's attention should be on Lance, not him. 

Kosmo whined, burrowing slightly into Lance's hip.

Shiro frowned. "Lance is okay for right now, Keith. But it looks like you're not. So what can I do to help?" He hoped Keith would tell him and not stay silent to punish himself for Lance's panic attack earlier.

Lance absentmindedly pet Kosmo, trying to comfort the wolf, but his eyes remained on his boyfriend. He knew what he was doing and it made him mad. Just because they'd gotten into an argument that caused him to have an attack didn't mean Keith had to suffer.

Keith slowly turned his head to look at Lance. The Cuban was still slightly pale and looked tired but didn't look...horrible. "Beds together?" Keith said hoarsely. He thought Shiro said that. He would lay down after that.

"Keith," Lance said, anger slipping a little into his voice.

Shiro looked back at Lance, chastisement in his eyes. "Lance, I have this," he said sternly before turning back to Keith. "I can put the beds together, but I need to know I won't hurt you first. Can you lay back to minimize movement?"

It took a moment, but eventually Keith shook his head. "Rib." His answer was quiet, his throat dry and pained.

Shiro nodded in understanding, moving himself into position. "Right. I'll hold you in place while you lay down, okay? Ready when you are."

Keith nodded and, using Shiro's hands to guide him, slowly eased himself down so he was laying down again. A look of relief washed over him. He didn't realize how tense he was. "Thanks," he whispered.

Lance had looked away after Shiro chastised him and sat back on the bed. Why didn't Keith just say something. That was a stupid question. He knew why. He also knew it was stupid.

Shiro smiled and pushed a stray strand of hair back behind Keith's ear. "You're welcome. Say something next time," he chided softly as he made sure the other man was comfortable. "Now, I'm going to put these together. You two want to decide cuddling arrangements while I work?" He moved back to the other bed and started getting ready to dock it to Keith's.

Lance stood slowly again and moved out of the way so Shiro could push the beds together. He looked over at Keith, but quickly averted his gaze and said nothing.

Keith's eyes unwillingly fluttered shut when Shiro pushed back a lock of his hair, his words falling on deaf ears. That was until the words also included Lance. Keith looked at Lance, seeing the Cuban look away from him. He was probably still irked at Keith. Keith stayed silent. The last time he opened his mouth it didn't exactly go well.

Shiro waited as he began preparing the bed, sighing internally as neither of them spoke. Of course. 

He pushed the other bed over. "Alright, here we are. Hang tight for a second, Keith," he said as he pushed the beds together before activating the locking mechanism to hold them in place. "Right, all connected. Any ideas on who's laying where?"

Lance crossed his arms defensively and rubbed his hand up his arm. His shoulder twinged slightly and his face pinched a bit when he got too high so he brought it back down. He wanted to break the silence. Say something, but...he didn't have the magic words this time. He didn't know how to fix this. He chanced another glance at Keith from the corner of his eye and just took in the sight of him. This was silly. But they'd always been like this. Stubborn to a fault and neither wanting to mess it up worse. 

He watched as Shiro pushed the beds together, hearing the click as they slid into place. He stood for a moment longer, debating on answering Shiro's question, before just making his way to the side of his bed and crawling carefully on top of it. He scooted purposefully over to Keith before laying down on his left side and pushing his forehead into Keith's shoulder and squeezing his eyes shut. When words failed, actions always worked. It was Keith's preferred way, but Lance figured he could borrow it this once.

Feeling Lance's head onto his shoulder, Keith turned to look at him. He frowned. Why was Lance remorseful? He had no reason to be. "I'm sorry," Keith croaked out.

"Me too," Lance said softly, curling into Keith. He felt the beginnings of tears pricking the backs of his eyes, but he refused to let them out. He'd done enough crying lately.

Shiro waited until they both had the initial apologies out before climbing into bed on Lance's other side, hand going to his waist as he snuggled in behind him. He rested his head lightly against the back of the other man's neck.

Lance blinked as he felt Shiro crawl in behind him and his heart jumped at the hand on his waist. He was surprised that Shiro hadn't chosen Keith's other side, that's how they always slept, with Keith in the middle. He knew it started that way because he and Shiro weren't together, but as they grew closer, he always just assumed that they slept that way because Keith liked being in the middle. He was always complaining that he was cold and having a body on either side of him, kept him warm. But now? It seemed that wasn't the case. Shiro and he had kissed, but they hadn't really talked about what that meant. Lance knew what he wanted it to mean, and he thought Shiro wanted the same thing, but it would be nice to hear it out loud. Maybe Lance would ask later. For now, Lance was just going to enjoy the feeling of Shiro behind him and Keith in front of him. He just hoped he wouldn't get too hot.

In a moment of bravery, Lance reached back slightly to grasp Shiro's hand and pull his arm over his waist.

Shiro blinked in surprise as his hand was pulled farther over Lance's waist, making him move in closer to keep things comfortable. He didn't mind at all, but he was surprised. He didn't think Lance would move quickly. He nuzzled his forehead against the other man's neck, hoping to get his contentment with the situation across without words.

Keith was still confused as to why Lance was apologizing but stayed silent. He was tired of fighting. He wanted to turn and burrow into Lance's chest but settled for pressing a kiss to the top of Lance's head and nuzzling into the Cuban's hair. When he felt the bed dip, Keith saw Shiro wrap an arm around Lance's waist and the other pulling Shiro closer. A pang of pain went through Keith. While he was happy that the two were finally together, it was obvious that Shiro must be mad at him too. He pushed it away. Shiro deserved to be angry at him, Lance too. Keith was the one that sent the younger man into a panic attack. Keith let his eyes slide shut. His body wasn't ready for a full blown argument. At least they would have each other if something happened to him. He could warm up with a blanket, it wasn't a big deal. 

Kosmo jumped up on the bed and took his customary spot on their feet.

Lance felt himself mellow out as Shiro nuzzled into his back and Keith kissed his hair. But something felt wrong, he wasn't close enough. Hoping the kiss meant Keith was at least willing to put the argument behind them for now, Lance lightly patted Shiro’s arm, letting him know they were moving and he shuffled up and over a bit on the bed. He snaked his left arm carefully under Keith's pillow and gently nudged the man into his shoulder. His other hand took hold of Shiro’s and Keith's, pressing them together, leaving them nestled close to his chest and Keith’s shoulder before raising his own up to tangle his fingers in Keith's hair, holding his head just beneath Lance's. He tilted his head down to press his lips to the crown of Keith's head and left them there. This was better. He was going to get way too hot, he knew, but at the moment he didn't care. This was how it should be, all three of them lying so close together that legs tangled and heartbeats synched.

Keith let Lance pull him in and couldn't stop himself from nuzzling closer. He chirped, soft and rough, when Lance pressed a kiss to the crown of his head, fingers in his hair. He turned his head so the mask didn't press into Lance's skin, figuring that it probably wasn't comfortable. He intertwined his fingers with Shiro's when he felt the older man's fingers against his own.

Shiro lifted his head up, curious as Lance tapped on his hand. The arrangements he managed to maneuver them into were a lot closer, which wasn't all bad. He'd probably overheat unless Shiro moved to Keith's other side, but he wasn't willing to do that just yet. He settled for squeezing Keith's hand lightly once their fingers were tangled together. "Better?" he chuckled as he settled back down against the pillow.

Lance hummed into Keith's hair, pushing back slightly into Shiro and tugging Keith closer.

Keith laid still for a few minutes, enjoying the closeness with his two boyfriends before slowly opening his eyes. He looked up at Lance, a sense of guilt washing over him. "Are you okay?" he said hoarsely.

Lance stared down into Keith's eyes. Offering a small smile. "Yeah, sweetheart," he said, running his hand gently through Keith's hair. His face pinched in guilt. "I'm sorry."

Keith's brow furrowed. "Why do you keep apologizing?" he asked quietly, his eyes closing as he felt Lance comb his fingers through his hair.

"Cause I left Keith and I told you I wouldn't." Lance squeezed his eyes shut. "And it was for a stupid reason, and I got hurt again and I'm just sorry." A tear escaped. He continued again, his voice a little wet. "You too, Shiro. I'm sorry you had to come get me. I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Keith shook his head. "I can't expect you two to stay at my bedside all the time. That isn't fair to either of you. And while I don't agree with what you did, I understand why you did." He paused to cough before continuing. "Just...never again, please?"

Shiro nodded. "Never again. I'm not sorry I had to come get you, Lance. I am sorry for what I did after." He had let his emotions get the better of him, fallen back into the role of a ghost he'd rather forget...

"Never again," Lance promised. This one he would keep.

Keith sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling," he added. "It wasn't fair for me to do that to you."

Lance shook his head. "It’s okay. You were mad. I get it." He offered another small smile.

"Still not fair," Keith rebutted softly. "Should've stopped when Shiro said so the first time and not send you into a damn panic attack."

Shiro made a quiet noise of chastisement. "What ifs and maybes," he murmured. "We can't beat ourselves up for what happened, just move forward." He'd learned that several times over himself. He nuzzled into Lance again.

"Shiro’s right. I'm okay now." Lance blushed a little as Shiro nuzzled into his back. That was going to take some getting used to, but he was definitely there for it. He really was feeling better now, settled comfortably between Keith and Shiro. They helped settle him even more after the attack. He almost felt back to normal.

Keith opened his mouth but closed it after Shiro's words. He burrowed further into Lance, eyes closing once more. "You two done being awkward now at least?" he asked, a small smirk on his face.

Shiro laughed quietly, shaking the bed slightly. "Everyone but us saw it, didn't they," he commented dryly.

Keith chuckled weakly. "Wait until the whole ship congratulates you for a solid week."

Lance blushed and buried his face in Keith's hair, groaning quietly in embarrassment. He didn't think he was done being awkward. He knew how to play Keith as soon as they got together. They'd been toeing the line for so long that it just felt like more of the same but with kisses. But Shiro was different. Shiro had always been the leader, and while Lance knew how to push some of Shiro’s buttons, (that had been found out accidentally, but Lance had been having so much fun with it since it had) but he knew next to nothing else. He was probably going to fumble a bunch getting used to being with Shiro. But he was excited. 

But were they together? I mean they'd kissed, and he was like 99.9% sure that meant Shiro still liked him, but there was still a small part of him that didn't believe it. Maybe he’d pull Shiro aside sometime and actually confess. The thought made his heart pick up a bit with nerves.

Shiro's ears turned red. "Hopefully in private. I don't think I could take most of the ship knowing my relationships that publicly." Besides, they wouldn't care, would they? He was an officer, but not significant to them in any other capacity. Right?

Keith laughed quietly at Shiro's obvious discomfort at the idea of everyone congratulating him. He winced as it trimmed off. He settled once more, yawning slightly.

"I'm sure they all know to keep quiet about it," Lance said quietly. He didn't want any of them getting in trouble for dating an officer. The upper brass knew about Keith and Shiro because of the imprinting, and some people close to them had either been told or had guessed but stayed quiet. Lance was going to have to be careful, which was going to be...hard for him. He was very affectionate with people, even more so with Keith and he knew that would extend to Shiro now too. Lance sighed quietly. Keeping things under wraps wasn't his style.

Shiro nodded. "We can trust the same people we trusted before, obviously. The rest shouldn't matter." As much as he told himself that, he knew they did. But he shouldn't bring himself to worry about that at the moment. He needed to focus on his and his boyfriends' happiness first and go from there.

"Not like we could stop rumors anyways," Keith muttered. "This place is like a high school." Keith frowned. He really should stop talking. His voice did sound pretty shitty.

Lance snorted in agreement and went back to running his fingers through Keith's hair. "You should rest your voice, sweetheart. And rest in general, we can talk again in the morning." Lance yawned slightly. It just dawned on him that it was in the middle of the night and he hadn't slept yet, plus with everything that had happened he was pretty tired.

Shiro made a general noise of agreement. The adrenaline crash was starting to get to him. "Why don't we sleep on it," he suggested, his voice already slurring a little. It didn't help that cuddling had always made him feel safe, and safe meant he could be drowsy, and he was always so high strung that he would never say no to a nap.

Keith hummed, eyes already closed. A small thrum of fear went through him. The last time he went to sleep he was back there. Lance and Shiro were dead. Not a place he was eager to get back to. But the other two needed their sleep. He could fake it. He willed his body to relax slightly and calm his breathing.

Lance pressed a kiss to Keith's hair and didn't move away, instead settling deeper into the bed and letting his eyes drift shut. "Night," he murmured softly.

Shiro's breathing slowed a little. "Night," he murmured softly and squeezed Keith's hand. "Relax, babe. We'll be right here," he soothed. He was sure Keith was afraid of falling into nightmares again, but wanted to try and calm him how he could in his current state.

Lance hummed. "We won’t leave again," he slurred.

Keith squeezed Shiro's hand, humming softly. He knew he would lose the fight eventually. His body was tired.

Shiro started humming, the tune stilted and a little off key, but he wanted to send the other two off to a peaceful sleep if he could.

Lance smiled softly at Shiro’s humming and let himself drift off, holding Keith close in his arms.

Keith felt Lance drift off. Soon Shiro would as well then he could work on sleeping. If they were asleep they couldn't leave. If they didn't leave, he shouldn't have nightmares. Their presence and their scents should keep the demons at bay. Without him realizing, as these thoughts went through his head, Keith drifted asleep.

Shiro smiled softly as he felt both of the others relax next to him. Good. Now he could rest. He let himself drift off as well, content that Sorey and Mila would watch over them as they slept.


	8. Chapter 8

Realistically Shiro knew he would be the first to wake - too many years of early wakeup calls and PT drilled into him to sleep much past 7. Still, he had hoped he'd be able to get a couple more hours. He stirred quietly, conscious of the other two in the bed next to him. The thought brought a small smile to his face as he resituated himself behind Lance, snuggling into a more comfortable position.

Lance shifted in his sleep, the first pull of consciousness tugging when something moved behind him. There wasn't normally anything behind him, so what...? Also, why did he feel like someone put him in a furnace. It was too hot. Lance grumbled quietly at the situation.

Shiro stirred again at a quiet mumble from the man in front of him. "Lance?" he murmured, face still squished against the other man's back. "What'sa matter?"

"'S hot," Lance whined softly. Right, Shiro was behind him. That had happened last night.

Shiro grumbled a little but rolled onto his back, giving Lance the freedom of the circulating air in the room to hopefully cool him down. He reached for a blanket to drag over himself in exchange. "Duzzat help," he asked as he smashed his face into one of the pillows.

Yes. "No," he groaned, drawing it out. "Come back." He didn't care if he melted, it’d be worth it.

Keith shifted slightly, the noise and movement making him turn his head, the mask slightly askew on his face. He quickly settled and fell into a deep sleep.

Shiro grumbled a little but flipped again, turning back over to press his body up against Lance's and nuzzle into his neck. "M'back," he informed him sleepily, reaching a hand down to straighten the blankets over them. He tucked his feet under Kosmo to keep them warm, glad for the wolf's presence.

Lance hummed, pleased, and snuggled back into Shiro. He let loose a happy sigh that ruffled Keith's hair. Lance was half awake now and didn't think he would be able to fall asleep again.

Shiro couldn't help the little bubble of contentment that rose up in his chest. Even in the hospital, the domesticity couldn't be understated. This felt comfortable. Right. He hedged his bets and pressed a kiss to the back of Lance's head, close to his ear. Enough to mean something, but far enough to not have too much emotion attached to it. Just affection. It was probably fine. He didn't let himself worry too much.

Lance hummed again and a lazy smile formed on his lips. That felt nice. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but Shiro was slowly pulling him the rest of the way to consciousness.

Shiro huffed out a quiet laugh. "Good morning," he murmured into Lance's ear. "Didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

"Mornin'," Lance replied sleepily. He knew going back to sleep wasn't an option at that point. Shiros kiss to his head had sent little tingly waves over his body that slowly made him more aware, especially of the fact that his left arm was almost painfully asleep under Keith's head. He was going to deal with it, he didn't want to move for the world. "What time is it?" he mumbled.

Shiro lifted himself up to get a glance at the clock before lowering back down again. "Quarter after seven," he informed the other man. "Late enough to be considered sleeping in, but early enough to be a pain in the ass."

Lance groaned.  _ Quarter after seven? Shiro had woken him at quarter after seven? _ Lance blinked his eyes open lazily, glaring at nothing in particular. It was too early. Especially after going to sleep so late. Lance glanced down at Keith, still deeply asleep and not likely to wake up anytime soon.  _ Lucky bastard _ , he thought. "'S too early, Shirroooo."

Shiro chuckled. "Go back to sleep," he urged quietly. He knew his body wouldn't let him, but there was no reason why the other two couldn't. "I'll be quiet."

Lance groaned again. "Cant 'm awake now," he mumbled sleepily.

"You sound pretty drowsy," he teased. "You sure?"

Lance hummed. "'M sure. But what 'm I supposed to 'bout my beauty sleep. I need m' beauty sleep."

Shiro laughed quietly again. "You're pretty enough without it," he murmured before smashing his head back into the pillow. "Just relax at least, okay?"

Lance snorted. "You haven't seen me without it." Lance snuggled deeper into Keith's hair.

Shiro hummed. He was pretty sure he had, but that was beside the point.

Keith grumbled under his breath, shifting slightly before settling. 

Kosmo lifted his head when Lance moved before lowering it again, lids fluttering shut as he fell back asleep.

Lance let them all lay there for a few more minutes before speaking again. "Shiro?"

Shiro lifted his head to peer at Lance, one eye visible to Lance past the tuft of his hair. "Yeah?"

Lance was too tired to feel any of the nerves he normally would saying it, which was probably why his subconscious told him to do it now. However, he did just curl just the tiniest bit more into Keith. "I like you," he mumbled quietly.

Shiro smiled, nothing big or like the forced smiles he gave when he was around other people. It was small, sincere. "I like you too," he returned, reaching a hand out to touch Lance's back where he knew he wasn't injured. "Think I have for a while, actually."

Lance hummed, pleased. "That's good." He yawned quietly. Maybe he really was falling back asleep. That never happened. "Wanna date you," he slurred, unconsciousness pulling at him.

Shiro chuckled. "I'll be happy to, if you'll have me," he agreed, knowing in that moment that he wanted to protect this man from all the bad in the universe; wanted to keep him able to rest easy like this.

"Mkay, cool." Lance smiled as he drifted off again.

Shiro settled down, snuggling in next to Lance and tried to relax. He didn't get many moments to, and he wanted to bask in this new feeling. New relationships were as fun as old ones in different ways, and he couldn't help but look forward to all the things he'd learn about him and Lance together.

When Lance woke up again, he could tell it was later. He yawned into Keith's hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He felt more rested now, definitely better than when he’d woken the first time. He was still mildly surprised that he’d fallen back asleep. Usually once he was awake he was awake until bedtime. Maybe he was just that tired, maybe it was because he was sandwiched so snuggly in between Shiro and Keith. That might have been it.

Keith mumbled under his breath, turning his head over so he was facing Lance. Slowly, his eyes opened slightly. "'Ance?"

"Mornin', beautiful," Lance mumbled, opening his eyes to smile sleepily down at Keith.

Keith chuckled sleepily, a lazy smirk appearing underneath the fogged mask. "You need your eyesight checked, sharpshooter." He wouldn't lie. He felt disgusting. He wanted to do nothing but take a long shower and wash his hair.

"My eyes are fine, babe." Lance groaned as he stretched carefully in the small amount of space he had, then he nuzzled his forehead back into Keith's hair, a content smile on his face. "An' I know you know that otherwise you wouldn’t trust me with your back out there."

Keith hummed, eyes shutting once more as he allowed himself to experience the affection Lance was giving him. "Trust no one more," he admitted.

"Back atcha," Lance replied fondly, but a small pang went through his heart. He still felt guilty.

A small smile appeared from Lance's statement. "So...you and Shiro a thing now?" Keith mumbled, eyes still closed.

Lance blinked and the conversation from earlier this morning played through his head. He blushed, suddenly fully awake. "Yeah." He laughed quietly. "I just came right out and said it too. Nng, I have no filter when I'm tired." He may not have been embarrassed then but he sure was now.

"You are...okay with it, right?" Lance asked, suddenly unsure.

Shiro shuffled a little, rolling over toward the other side of the bed.

Keith laughed quietly, the sound muffled by the mask. "Its fine, Lance," he reassured, eyes opening once more. "I'm happy for you two. You deserve to be happy and I said from the start of this that I wouldn't pin you two only to me, sadly my Galran side had other ideas though." He paused to take a few breaths, his lungs still weak. "Just don't forget about me,” he joked lightly, eyes closing again.  _ Want to spend as much time with you as I can, _ he thought.

Lance frowned when he felt Shiro roll away from him but shook it off to focus on Keith.

His eyes widened as Keith finished. "Sweetheart, no. I would never. Could never." Lance pressed another kiss to Keith's hair. "I love you so much. You're like a vital organ, I need you to live."

Keith smiled, a small blush appearing. "Love you too," he responded, "but stop kissing my hair before you get a disease, I haven't showered in four days. I'm disgusting."

Lance peppered more kisses to Keith's head and leaned down to get some of his face too. "Nope." Kiss. "You're perfect." Kiss. "And I'm going to shower," kiss, "you with," kiss, "affection," kiss, "and love," kiss, kiss, "because you deserve only good things in life." Lance let his lips linger on Keith's forehead, letting go with a purposeful smack of his lips. " _ Caught a bug from you girl, and I don’t need no cure. I'll just stay your victim, if I can for sure _ ." Lance sang quietly, laughter in his voice.

Keith laughed, his shoulders quivering as he kept it nearly silent so as not to disturb Shiro. "All those shots and still can't hit your target. Some sniper you are," he said with a smirk.

"I don’t know how I feel about kissing plastic, princess." Lance said skeptically, trying to be serious but couldn't keep the smile from his eyes. He leaned down to press a kiss to the mask anyway. "Mm, yeah, not my thing. Your lips are much better." Lance sighed dramatically. "Guess I'll just have to wait and make it up to you later."

Keith rolled his eyes and freed a hand from the blanket. He bought it up and slid the mask off his face, letting it dangle around his neck. He reached up and cupped the side of Lance's face, thumb softly caressing the cheekbone. "Then don't kiss the plastic," Keith said, pulling Lance closer and pressing his lips against the Cuban's.

Lance's eyes widened as Keith removed the mask. "Keith, but-" he started but was cut off by lips covering his own. He couldn't help the sort of helpless whine he made in the back of his throat at the contact and he closed his eyes. He kissed Keith slowly, like they had all the time in the world, even though he felt like he needed to squeeze in years of passion in this one moment. He wanted to make sure Keith knew that there was no rush. That they had time. That it was all going to be okay. But it was over too soon. He needed hours, not seconds.

The slow but passionate kiss was what Keith needed. A connection, something to ground him in this time of uncertainty. He knew he wouldn't be leaving this hospital bed for quite a few more days and he wasn't sure how damaged he would be when he finally would be able to go home, and how much everything was going to change with it and with the new relationship and...He just needed this moment. After a few moments, Keith leaned back slightly before resting his forehead against Lance's, a tear slipping from his closed eyes.

Lance opened his eyes, smiling, as Keith leaned his forehead against his own. Seeing the tear, however, the smile fell. He reached up with his right hand to brush it gently away. "Hey, what's wrong,  _ cariño _ ?" Lance leaned up briefly to press a kiss to Keith's nose, before bringing their foreheads back together.

Keith shook his head. "Just...want to get out of here," he admitted quietly. "Not have to breathe with a mask...or even just get up an fucking walk. I feel like a damn burden and-and I hate it. I fucking hate it."

"We will, sweetheart. Soon. I promise. And you're not a burden. I like taking care of you. Makes me feel useful. Plus, I love you and I get to pamper you so that's just an added bonus." Lance smiled, leaning down to press a short kiss to Keith's lips.

A few more tears slipped down Keith's face, reality hitting him. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You heard Sorey. What am I supposed to do if I need oxygen for the rest of my life? Just like that, everything I worked for, gone. Voltron. The Blades. Piloting. Gone. What else am I supposed to do?" Keith rambled, his emotions getting the best of him.

Lance felt a stab through his heart. Maybe he shouldn't have said promise..."He was talking about worst case, sweetheart. And if I know you at all, which I like to think I know you pretty well, you won’t let anything stop you. Sorey also said that you were healing well, so the worst case scenario could already be tossed out the window. New worst case could be you can't run five miles without a two minute break somewhere in there anymore. Don’t give up before you've even given yourself a chance. You've just started recovering, it takes time. And I know you're terribly impatient," Lance playfully poked Keith's nose, "but you’re just going to have to be. So stop worrying about what ifs in the future. Focus on now." Lance moved his hand up to gently card through Keith's hair, hoping to soothe him even a little.

Lance was worried about the future too. He knew Keith wouldn’t want any restrictions and he probably wouldn’t listen to them anyway, which could potentially get him hurt again and he wasn't particularly good at stopping that from happening in the first place. Not that Lance could talk. He hoped with everything he had that by some miracle, Keith would come out on the other side of this with only scars. It was best he could wish for.

Shiro rolled over, still keeping his hands to himself. "Lance is right," he murmured, rearranging the pillow under his head. "You tend to outperform the curve, so I really don't think you'll be as limited as the worst case scenario is."

Keith listened to Lance's words, trying to find the calm that his boyfriend was trying to give. His hand fell to rest against Lance's chest, fingers curling into Lance's shirt. He wanted to turn over desperately, curl further into Lance's chest. Hide. For once, take comfort rather than push it away like he always did. His fingers curled tighter into Lance's shirt. "I want to see her," he said softly but firmly.

Lance froze, fingers stalling, eyes wide. He was pretty sure his heart stopped. Words from last night repeated in his head. He could still hear her yelling. If he had been sitting up he knew he’d be shaking his head back and forth right now. Keith didn’t need to hear those things. Absolutely not. 

Panic started to course through him. He was pretty sure he’d stopped breathing. What if she didn’t just yell and curse. What if...what if she tried to hurt him again. No. Lance wouldn’t- No. "No," Lance whispered. He knew he sounded scared, could tell even with his own ears as quiet as his word had been. He sounded terrified. He held Keith just a little closer.

Shiro sat up abruptly, hand stretched out toward the other two. "Lance, it's okay. He's not going to..." He hated to think of what would happen, the vitriol and hatred she would spew if Keith were to come into her cell. The two of them had been bad enough.

Slowly, Keith turned, wincing slightly to lay on his side. He wrapped an arm around Lance's waist and buried his face into his chest, taking the comfort that he wanted...needed.

"I would bring people...and you two." He clarified. "But I want to see the woman that nearly killed me and...has probably changed my- no our lives," Keith admitted. "I wouldn't step foot into her cell, but I want to hear why she did it from her own mouth."

Lance tightened his arms around Keith to accommodate for the new position, holding him as close as possible without hurting either of them. His heart was still pounding in fear. "Please don’t." Lance knew he couldn't stop Keith. If Keith wanted to do something he would, but...he was looking for answers, like Lance was last night and he’d gotten them and it had been painful. Lance didn’t want Keith to feel any of that. It wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth it. "Please. Don’t give her the chance to hurt you again."

Shiro rested his hand on Keith's shoulder. "It's... she isn't really coherent," he explained. "It's a combination of eugenics and hate speech that we really, really would prefer you not subject yourself to if you don't have to." He'd flown into a rage alone, what would he do with Keith actually there? That thought was terrifying.

Keith curled into Lance a bit more. "It’s probably not any worse than I've told myself or what I've heard from others," he said before coughing weakly. "And she wouldn't be able to touch me so wouldn't be able to hurt me either," he added.

Lance squeezed his eyes shut, willing the burning away. God, Keith had a way of revealing random tidbits about his past that made him so sad. Made him wish he could go back there and hug him and never let go. Shower him with affection until he believed he was worth it. 

"Words can hurt too," Lance said softly, voice thick with unshed tears.

Shiro chewed on his lip. As much as he hated the idea outright, he knew Keith wouldn't let it go. "And her words were a lot more hurtful than the ones you've heard before. I... I don't think I can let you hear those things," he said honestly. Just the thought was making him sick. "Even if there's an army between you two."

Keith leaned back slightly when he heard Lance's tone. He reached up, a small reassuring smile on his lips, and cupped Lance's cheek once more. "Sharp words become dull when they are used often," Keith said quietly, answering both Lance and Shiro, "especially when the sharpest ones come from your own mind. I trust you two to protect me, trust in me to know my limits. I want her to see she didn't win. She didn't defeat us."

Lance opened his eyes slightly to look at Keith, then closed them again. Of course Keith was going to get what he wanted. Lance sighed sadly. "Why’re you so stubborn," he mumbled, resigned.

"Because it’s one of my charms," Keith deadpanned with a smirk before sobering. "But if you don't want me to do it...I won't. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to cause you two anymore trouble than I already have," he added softly as he curled back into Lance's chest. "I want to know who thought of this. Was it her? Is there someone else? Are they targeting you two as well?" He rambled off.

Shiro frowned, but looked pensive. "The investigation should turn that up," he noted. "But having you there might have her give up more information than she otherwise would, if she gets worked up and forgets herself. And letting her see that she didn't win has a certain appeal, too." He resituated so he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, elbows on his knees. "I could ask the MPs if they want your help."

Lance stayed quiet as they talked, just holding Keith to him. He didn’t want to let him go, didn’t want him to see her again, but...it wasn't his decision was it. Keith had given him the option to say no, but he couldn't. "I'm not leaving your side," he finally said, squeezing his eyes shut more. He couldn't believe he was saying this. "She doesn't get anywhere near you. And if all she does is spout the same bullshit she gave me, I'm covering your ears and taking you out of there."

Keith hummed in agreement to both Shiro's and Lance's stipulations. If he was honest, he didn't want to see her alone. He needed his boyfriends to come with. 

Lance's adamant refusal to let him hear what she said prior did make Keith curious though. She got under Lance's skin and it was obvious and he couldn't help but be curious as to what she said. Looking upward at him, Keith asked, "What did she say to you?"

Meanwhile Kosmo got up, yellow eyes narrowed on the three before crawling closer to Shiro and plopping his head into the older man's lap, a wide yawn coming from the wolf as he settled.

Lance shook his head. "Kind of defeats the purpose of you not hearing it if I tell you." Lance smiled weakly. He shook his head again and swallowed, blinking back tears. He wished he could forget.

Shiro looked bemused at Kosmo, but started petting the wolf's fur, tracing patterns up and down his face. "It wasn't nice, if it's anything like when I was there," he added. "Same sort of shit the Nazis spouted all the way back in World War II on earth. Not human, die a slow death, et cetera."

"Shiro."

Shiro glanced up to Lance. "He's not going to let it go. I can summarise it so he can mentally prepare when he hears it himself." Not that he wanted to say those things at all, but at least Keith should be able to know what was coming.

Kosmo closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the attention he was getting from Shiro. 

Keith sighed, giving Lance a weak squeeze. "I figured that was the thread," he said. "It’s the same one everyone goes down," he admitted with a sigh. Just once he would like to be liked and not instantly hated for something he had no control over.

Lance pulled Keith's head closer to his chest and rested his forehead on top, closing his eyes. Why wouldn’t anyone let him keep Keith away from the bad things. Keith especially. Lance didn’t understand why Keith wouldn't just let him protect him.

Shiro sighed. "We'll get there eventually," he said. They just had to defeat the Empire and liberate the universe, and then they could work on repairing Galran relations and perception. No big deal. Shiro snorted mentally.

Keith snorted. "Not our lifetime. Maybe in our kids'." Keith froze for a second. Their children. He pushed his face into Lance's chest. Their children would get so much hate. They would have 3 parents, all of whom were male, and one was Galran.  _ Fuck, _ was the only thing that went through his head. Then the solemn voice reminded him that any child of theirs would probably only have two parents and he would no longer be in the picture.

Lance smiled despite the solemn conversation. Kids, huh. That sounded nice. He pet Keith's hair as he burrowed into his chest. He wanted nothing more than to grow old and adopt some kids with these two. In the beginning he kind of wondered how it would work with him and Shiro not being together, but if everything worked out like he hoped, that wouldn’t be an issue anymore.

Keith smiled softly as he felt Lance start petting his hair, a quiet, weak purr appearing as he relaxed in Lance's arms.

Shiro smiled a little as Keith began to purr. If their kids didn't have that hatred, then he thought they might be in a pretty good place. He brought a hand up, putting his chin in it as he watched the two of them together.

Lance felt some of the tension leave his body as Keith began to purr. It was quiet and not very strong, but Lance loved the sound. Had missed it terribly during all of this. He continued to run his fingers gently over Keith's hair.

Keith's body practically melted into Lance's as he continued to pet his hair. "You're gonna put me back to sleep," he mumbled before coughing lightly, nuzzling into Lance's chest once done. "You two should probably eat breakfast," he added through a yawn.

Lance didn’t stop. He could stay in bed like this all day and that would be fine. "Don’t wanna move," he said quietly.

Shiro hummed. "I can get us breakfast if you want," he suggested. He wouldn't mind leaving and coming back to his sleepy boyfriends.

Lance hummed. If Shiro wanted to bring him food he wasn't going to object.

"Don't want you to," Keith admitted. "But you two need to take care of yourself too," he added. "Especially since you aren't getting my usual leftovers," he joked weakly.

Shiro leaned over to kiss what part of Keith he could reach. Apparently that was his hand. "I'd rather you ate, but I understand. Lance, any requests?" He unfolded himself and moved to the edge of the bed to stand.

Lance hummed again. "Surprise me," he said, turning slightly to look over his shoulder. "And you forgot something."

Shiro looked back before standing and leaning down.

Lance smiled, turning back to Keith. "Now go so you can come back."

Keith smirked. "And your sick boyfriend doesn't get one," he joked, peering up from Lance's chest. "Kept my mask off and everything."

Shiro chuckled. "You really should have that on,  _ jagiya _ ," he chided as he waited for Keith to emerge slightly from his hiding place in Lance's chest for his kiss. Once he was more accessible Shiro leaned down, making sure to make this one linger, a bit more full of emotion. He didn't know before if he'd ever get to kiss this man again. He'd been a little scared to, to be honest. What if being with Lance changed something. But sure enough, it hadn't. Just rounded it out and made it more stable.

"He’s right," Lance said. "It’s been off for a while now."

A soft chirp came from Keith as he pressed into the kiss. When Shiro leaned back, Keith frowned. "I hate wearing it. It's annoying," he muttered, nuzzling back into Lance's chest.

Shiro stood back up, a little sad he had to leave now. "It's going to help you get better faster and go home sooner. I'll bring a book back from the room if you do," he bargained.

Keith raised an eyebrow. "The great Takashi Shirogane stooping to bribery?" he said with a smirk before he slipped the mask back on over his nose and mouth. "How the mighty fall,” he added before curling back into Lance's chest.

Lance pressed his lips together to keep from smiling, but couldn't keep the amusement from his eyes.

Shiro snorted. "I bribed you tons back at the Garrison, don't even start," he retorted as he began to walk toward the door, shoving his shoes on when he got there. "I'll be back soon. Behave," he warned as he slipped out the door.

"He used his dad voice," Lance stated as soon as Shiro left. "Kind of makes me want to do the opposite of what he asked."

Keith rolled his eyes but kept silent. He watched as Shiro left, chuckling quietly as Kosmo curled up behind Lance, head popping up to rest on Lance's bicep. "Hey boy," he greeted, poking Kosmo on the nose before laughing at what Lance said. "And what mischief could we possibly get into with you in a cast and me connected to a million wires?"

Lance brought his right hand up to lightly pat the wolf on the head as he thought, before bringing his hand back to card through Keith's hair. Lance hummed in thought. What mischief indeed.

Keith purred softly, closing his eyes and cuddling into Lance's chest, a small smile on his lips.

Lance let them lay like that for a few minutes before a smirk slowly formed. "Hey, babe. How would you feel about a face massage? And possibly some mischief that isn't really mischief but looks like a whole lotta mischief?"

Keith leaned back, an eyebrow slowly rising. "Continue."

"Lay on your back," Lance said. "And lift up your head for a second. I need my arm back."

Keith looked at Lance for a moment before doing as he was asked, curious as to what exactly his boyfriend had in mind.

Lance rolled his shoulder once his arm was free, he had started getting feeling back in it when Keith had rolled onto his side earlier, but the pins and needles were going full force now.  _ Worth it _ , he thought as he sat up.

Carefully, making sure he wasn't going to be pulling on any wires or stitches, he swung a leg over Keith, winking as he settled himself gently on his thighs. "I'm not hurting you am I?" he asked. "This really is the best position for the massage since I can’t stand behind you. Plus, you can imagine what it looks like from behind us," he said, winking again as he situated the blankets around his waist. "Mischief that isn't really mischief but looks like a whole lotta mischief." Lance smiled down at Keith with a playful look in his eyes.

Keith chuckled, hands coming up to rest on Lance's hips. "You're going to give Shiro a heart attack," he said with a smile.

Lance smiled wider. "Mischief," he whispered, as he leaned over Keith, smiling devilishly. After making sure the blankets were arranged correctly over his hips, he brought his hands up to the sides of Keith’s face and began to massage over his eyebrows. "Let me know if this is too hard," Lance said seriously, then shook his head and snorted as he realized what he said.

Keith's eyes eased closed, a relaxed smile appearing on his lips. His thumbs began caressing Lance's hips. "Just be easy with your wrist."

"Yes, dear," Lance said in fond exasperation with an accompanying eye roll. 

"Sorry that I love and care for you," Keith joked with a small smirk.

Lance moved his fingers slowly over Keith's face, working in tiny circles, kissing the spot every time he moved on. Eventually he made his way to Keith's hair, gently combing through it. "Maybe I could braid it for you a little later," he whispered softly. He was close enough to Keith, with their foreheads almost pressed together, that he knew he'd have no problem hearing him.

Keith’s smile grew warm as Lance pressed kisses to his face, his eyes sliding open to show the fond look that appeared. "If you want to touch the nest, then be my guest." 

Lance couldn't help but just stare into Keith's eyes as he brushed softly through his hair. That was the look. The one Lance loved to see more than anything. The one that made him wonder just what he’d done in his life to wind up so lucky. 

As Lance leaned down, Keith's hand slid up to cup the side of Lance's face, the other sliding the oxygen mask down once more. "Fuck, I love you." He breathed before leaning up and pressing a closed mouth kiss onto Lance's lips, leaning back seconds later with a small smile.

Lance leaned slightly into the hand on his cheek, then blushed when Keith spoke and kissed him and his heart fluttered happily. "Jeez Keith, warn a man first." Lance returned the small smile, bringing his hands to cradle Keith's head, fingers still tangled in his hair. "But, fuck, I love you too." He laughed quietly as he bent down the rest of the way to give Keith a return kiss. His was slightly less chaste,  _ but can you blame me? _ he thought, smiling lovingly into Keith's eyes as he resumed his attempt to detangle the 'nest' as Keith had called it.

He couldn't stop it. A small happy chirp came from him when Lance responded. He melted into the kiss, love obviously in his eyes as Lance leaned back but they quickly closed as he started to comb through his hair, a quiet purr vibrating through his chest as he leaned into the touch.

Lance grinned. "You make the cutest sounds," he gushed nuzzling his nose against Keith's.

Keith opened an eye, a blush appearing on his cheeks. The want to hide made his body tense but he forced himself to relax. He called them cute, he told himself, and they've never said anything bad about them. "Think you might be a bit biased about that," he joked weakly.

"Nah, it's a fact," Lance stated seriously. "Somebody pretty famous said it I think."

The other eye opened as Keith's expression shifted into a deadpanned one. "Oh? And who was it? I'm really curious as only you and Shiro have heard these noises."

"Not sure, one of the Paladins of Voltron I think. You know, the really handsome one with a good eye."

"Hunk?" Keith raised an eyebrow.

Lance nuzzled his nose against Keith's again, trying to look offended, but failing to keep the smile from his lips. Finally, he gave up. "You know, I'd be hurt, but Hunk is very handsome." He laughed softly.

Keith laughed, "Really? Never noticed. A certain Captain and Sharpshooter always kept my attention," he said with a small smirk, a blush on his cheeks.

"I know what you mean. I've had my eye on your mullet from day one, samurai." Lance smiled warmly, then blinked. "I think I have a thing for unusual hair," he added suddenly as if he'd just had an epiphany.

Keith chuckled. "Weird but who am I to judge?" he said with a smirk. "Should I dye my hair white?"

"Excuse you, my hair is very normal, thank you. And no, that's Shiro’s thing. You can just keep your mullet-that's-not-a-mullet-anymore."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried? If I have somewhat normal hair are you going to run away? Do I need to cut my hair with my knife again?"

"Nah, you're stuck with me," Lance said smiling as he watched his fingers drag through the long black strands. His tone turned serious. "I already told you I'm not going anywhere. Not without you and Shiro." He leaned down to press another kiss to Keith's lips, before smiling softly. "No place I'd rather be, than by your side."

Keith smiled a bit bashfully. "Sap," he joked before reaching up and cupping Lance's cheek, thumb lightly caressing the bruise. "I was afraid I would never see you two again. Be able to feel your arms. Your lips," he whispered, vulnerability shining in his eyes.

Lance swallowed at the look in Keith's eyes. It made his heart wrench painfully. "Me too," he admitted, whispering back, turning his head slightly to kiss Keith's palm. "But it's over now," he said, shaking himself out of the melancholy turn in mood. "We don't have to worry about that anymore. We're right here, alive. And you can feel my arms and lips as much as you like." Lance winked, bringing a smile back to his face.

Keith chuckled, holding back tears. His hand fell from Lance's cheek to his neck to pull him down into a slow, passionate kiss. He was straining his lungs and would probably have to put his mask on right after but he needed this.

Lance hummed into the kiss, letting Keith take the reins. He seemed like he needed it right now and Lance would always give him anything he wanted, happily. 

When they separated, Lance smiled fondly down at Keith, eyes darting back and forth between his. He blinked in surprise when Keith leaned up again, but attached his lips to Lance’s collarbone, sucking gently on the skin as Lance’s breath hitched in his chest. “Keith?” he asked, voice shaking slightly.

Keith moved away with a quiet pop, looking satisfied at the mark he’d left behind. He reached up to gently run his fingers over it. “Proof you’re here. That I’m here,” he muttered quietly, almost to himself as he locked eyes with Lance. He smiled as he looked at the fresh mark, a heated sense of accomplishment rushing through him. He wasn’t sure why but seeing on the mark on Lance’s neck made something within him purr with satisfaction. It felt akin to security or possessiveness. He resisted the urge to make the mark more permanent, the feeling also confusing him but it something he would deal with later. 

Lance shivered at the touch and smiled in understanding at the words. “We are,” he said, leaning down to capture Keith’s mouth in another kiss.

The door cracked open and Shiro kicked it open the rest of the way, takeaway boxes in hand again. "Alright. I figured you might be particular, so I got a few..." he rearranged the boxes to see Lance on top of Keith, the two locked in what seemed to be a rather intimate situation. His brain ground to a halt. "Ah. Uhm. Uhh." He tried to form a sentence. Where was that behave clause that he'd said before? "Monitors?" he said dumbly.

Keith leaned back, his eyes sliding towards Shiro with an eyebrow raised. "He was just giving me a face massage. Had a small headache," he said with a small shrug. With a slightly shaky hand, he pushed the oxygen mask into place.

Lance just pressed his lips together to keep from smiling and leaned down to rest his forehead on the pillow next to Keith, body shaking from silent laughter.

Shiro still gaped like a fish.

Keith shrugged. "Felt good," he added as he placed his hands on Lance's side. "And be careful with your stitches."

Lance sputtered and finally let himself laugh out loud. After a moment, he calmed slightly and pushed himself up so he was once again sitting on Keith's thighs and turned slightly to see the look on Shiro’s face which only sent him into another fit of laughter. "Ow, ow," he said, still laughing. His stitches were not happy with him, but the look on Shiro’s face was totally worth it. "Mischief managed, I think," he chuckled quietly, looking back at Keith.

Keith rolled his eyes even though they held mirth within them. "I told you to be careful," he said chuckling.

Shiro walked inside and shut the door, setting the food down on the counter before moving over to the two men in the bed. "What...you can't just spring that on someone," he said as his voice started to climb higher, face turning red.

"Spring what?" Lance said, still letting out the occasional huff of laughter even though he was trying to look serious. "I was just giving Keith a face massage, like he said."

"Relaxation is key to healing," Keith added with a small shrug.

Shiro groaned and collapsed into the chair next to the bed. "I give up. Continue if you want," he said as he covered his eyes with one hand.

Keith turned and looked at Shiro. "Or you could join us," he suggested. Not in the massage, not like Shiro could straddle him as well but...if he was honest with himself, he missed sleeping in the middle last night. Missed the safety and warmth that it gave him but he also knew that Shiro and Lance needed the closeness to help grow their new relationship and the last thing Keith wanted to do was do anything to prevent that, especially over something as stupid as sleeping arrangements. 

He wanted Shiro closer. Actually be held by him. Kissed by him.

Lance made sure he wasn't going to be pulling on any wires and gently removed Keith's hand from his side, before moving off of him and laying back onto his left side. Lance patted the space on the other side of Keith and looked at Shiro, still smiling with laughter.

Keith leaned his head against Lance's shoulder, a small smile on his face. He looked up at Shiro, "Remember my book?" he asked, lightly tapping the mask.

Shiro looked out from behind his hand just in time to see Lance patting the bed. They looked so comfortable. Shiro did want to join in, since they were offering. "I remembered," he said, nodding toward the food as he stood. "Would you like it now or later?"

Keith lifted a hand, wordlessly answering. Like he would ever say no to curling up and reading a book. He smiled as Shiro and curled his fingers in a "gimme" motion, his barriers down around his mates letting him act a little more relaxed than usual.

Shiro chuckled. "Alright. One second. Lance, do you want to eat now or later?" He'd gotten sandwiches again so they'd keep if he wanted to wait.

"Now is good, thanks Shiro," Lance said, sitting up into a cross legged position. As much as he wanted to keep cuddling, eating while laying down wasn't the best idea.

Shiro nodded, heading over to the items he'd brought in and handing over both the book and one of the food cartons. "Ketchup is in there for the fries," he informed before grabbing a couple of water pouches and distributing those as well.

"Thanks," Lance said again, taking the box and a water pouch from Shiro.

Unceremoniously, he opened the box and began eating. He never thought he’d have to say this but it was nice having an appetite again.

Keith took a book with a thankful smile. "Can you incline the bed? Rather the book not hit me in the face when I inevitably drop it," he said, looking up at Shiro.

Shiro nodded, leaning over to do as requested. "How's that?" he asked, staying bent down to move it again if needed.

Now at a better angle, not quite to where Lance was sitting, but close to it. Keith nodded. "Thanks," he said before frowning when Kosmo poofed in front of him, pushing his head against Keith's chest. The wolf grumbled quietly as he gently pushed against Keith's sternum. 

Chuckling fondly, Keith reached up and patted Kosmo's head. "I'm okay, boy," he said, giving Kosmo a light scratch.

Questioning yellow eyes peered up as if looking for the validity of Keith's statement before he huffed quietly. He walked down the bed slightly, going slow to make sure not to step on Keith before curling up at the base of the bed, his head resting just above Keith's left knee.

Shiro chuckled. "He was very worried about you," he informed Keith as he sat with his tray of food. "But very well behaved. Thank you for training him." He wasn't sure he would have made it if he'd had to corral both Kosmo and Lance simultaneously.

Keith gave Kosmo a soft smile, running his hand over the wolf's head a few times. Kosmo leaned into it, Keith giving him a few ear scratches before defaulting to the usual petting he gave Kosmo when the wolf was curled up in his lap. "He's just a good pup," Keith responded. 

It was true. Kosmo was smart and could pick up what was going on in a room quickly and had saved Keith's life numerous times. Beyond the Paladins, Keith trusted nobody else more than the wolf in his lap, especially on Blade missions. There was a reason Kolivan sent the two of them on the harder missions. Keith tipped his body so he was leaning against Shiro lightly, happy his eldest boyfriend was close to him. 

Shiro hummed happily as he devoured the sandwich, glad Keith was leaning against him.

Keith relaxed as his two boyfriends ate, opening his book and reading while petting Kosmo. 

A handful of minutes later, a knock on the door was their only warning before it opened, a smiling Mila walking in with a tray with a bowl on it. "Good morning gentlemen," she greeted before lifting the tray slightly. "Think you can eat something? If it stays down and you finish three fourths of the bowl, the feeding tube can come out," she said. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. "You sound like these two with the bribery," he said, closing his book.

"Morning, Mila!" Lance called, happily. He sent her a bright smile before going back to his sandwich. With his left hand he gently scratched behind Kosmos ear, careful not to hit the wolf with his cast.

Shiro snorted in amusement and kept devouring his sandwich.

Mila sent Lance a small smile in response before returning her attention to Keith. She placed the tray on the small end table. "This is still a bit hot so let it cool down for a little while. Your throat is probably still tender from the tube and we don't want to agitate it more." She explained before grinning. "Now, we ran another test on Keith's blood last night and Sorey actually wants to see if your renal failure will bounce back on its own. Your levels were better so your kidneys are improving. We're afraid dialysis will only put more stress on your already overtaxed body."

Keith raised an eyebrow before pointing at the mask. "Lungs?"

"Lungs and heart...they're improving but slower than your kidneys probably because they were impacted a lot more than your kidneys with the toxin."

Keith frowned. Not exactly the news he wanted to hear.

Lance ate slower as Mila explained how Keith was doing. When she finished he looked over at Keith and saw him frowning. He reached over and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind his ear. "Slower doesn't mean not at all,  _ cariño _ . Just give it time." Lance was hopeful. If his kidneys were doing better than they thought then maybe his heart and lungs would eventually surprise them too.

Shiro nodded, taking time to stop eating for a minute. "He's right. Slower progress tends to be the stuff that sticks, too." He smiled. "Let's see what your body can do on it's own before we mess with it."

Keith's eyes drifted to Lance as the Cuban pushed back a lock of his hair. He couldn't help but pout lightly (not that he would ever admit that he was) when Shiro spoke.  _ They don't have to wear the stupid mask, _ he thought 

Seeing the pout, Mila chuckled behind her hand before sobering. "Sorey will be in later to test your respiratory function and see if we can transfer you to a cannula system. We're also gonna see how your muscles are doing and get you out of bed for a bit hopefully. Your boyfriends can help with that." She ended with a smirk and a wink. "Any questions?"

Keith shook his head, leaning back into Shiro.

"Thanks, Mila," Lance said, finishing his sandwich.

Shiro nodded. "Thank you," he agreed, a smile on his face as he put an arm around Keith.

Keith curled further into Shiro, a small smile appearing on his face as he did. 

Mila nodded. "Eat the broth soon, maybe give it another 5 minutes before you do," she said before heading out of the room.

Shiro squeezed Keith lightly and used his other hand to go back to eating a couple of fries. "That's good news," he said between bites.

Keith frowned. "Be better news if I could go home," he muttered. "Or not have to eat their broth," he added as he reopened his book with one hand, his other one absentmindedly petting Kosmo, the wolf leaning into the touch and nuzzling deeper into Keith's lap obviously enjoying the attention.

Shiro hummed his agreement. "But progress anyways," he agreed.

Lance picked at his fries. He knew Keith wasn't a patient person. And he couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be that he can't just leave now that he's getting better. Although, maybe Lance could understand it a little. He looked at his cast. That was going to be a pain in the ass.

Keith shifted slightly, reading his book as his two boyfriends ate. A few minutes passed before he eased it closed, a thought swimming in his mind refusing to let him actually focus. "So, I know we said we were going to Cuba after the war," Keith started out, brow furrowing slightly as he tried to snuff out the annoying, pessimistic voice in his mind, "to meet Lance's family but..." Keith tipped his head back slightly to peer up at Shiro. "Did you want to see yours as well?" he asked hesitantly, somewhat already regretting asking.  _ What if he doesn't want to introduce you to his family, _ that annoying voice whispered.

Lance looked up at Keith as he spoke and then over to Shiro, curious. He would love to go, if Shiro wanted to. Maybe meeting this boyfriend's parents would be less...harrowing...

Shiro flipped the lid to the box closed, securing it. "That'd be nice," he agreed. "I haven't seen my sister in a while." His mom had gotten to come over before the Atlas launched, but his dad had been on base still and she had been teaching her class. "You've met mom, though," he reminded Keith.

Keith hummed in acknowledgment. He remembered meeting Shiro's mom a while back before the war started. Seemed like a lifetime ago. "Have enough vacation time, we could probably do a few days over there too," he suggested, looking up at Shiro.

"I'd like to meet them," Lance added casually, still picking at his fries.

Shiro nodded, setting his box aside and moving to wrap his other arm around Keith too. "That'd be nice. My mom and sister would love to meet you guys," he said easily.

Keith closed his eyes and leaned into Shiro's embrace, simply enjoying being in the man's arms. Deep down, he hoped that all three would reach their planned vacation. That none of them would get injured or killed during this war that they were swept into. The idea of losing either of them nearly made him choke and he didn't even want to fathom it becoming a reality. They came close this time. Too close in Keith's opinion. Lance had a cast on and a gunshot wound that could've been so much worse. Keith curled closer into Shiro. "Cuba then Japan, sounds like fun," he said with a small smile.

"Can’t wait." Lance smiled and placed a hand on Keith's knee, shaking it gently, before starting to pet Kosmo again. "Would you like a vacation too, Kosmo?"

Shiro leaned his head on Keith gently and looked to Kosmo for his answer.

Kosmo opened an eye to look at Lance, huffing slightly before closing it once more snuggling more into Keith. 

Keith smirked. "Like he would let me go anywhere without him. It’s been hard to get him to go with my mom the last few times."

Lance raised his hands and eyebrows in mock surrender. "Sorry I asked. Of course you want a vacation, how silly of me."

Keith chuckled, giving Kosmo a scratch. "Don't worry boy, you deserve one." 

Kosmo leaned into the touch, making quiet noises as if he was talking, making Keith laugh as he continued giving the wolf an ear massage.

Lance crossed his arms and huffed. "Sure, talk to him," he muttered under his breath. "Not like we're friends or anything. Apparently cuddling means nothing, but whatever."

Lance's response only made Keith laugh harder. "Would a kiss make you feel better?" he asked, smirking slightly.

"From Kosmo?" Lance looked offended. "We're fighting, he's gonna have to do a lot better than that." Lance turned to glare playfully at the wolf. "Hear that? You can't just kiss me and expect everything to magically be better. It doesn't work like that. I demand a grand gesture."

Shiro snorted. "A grand gesture like what? He's gotta sweep you off your feet?"

"Nah, that's your job, superman," Lance joked, winking at Shiro. "But yes, a grand gesture. It better be good." Lance looked pointedly at Kosmo.

Kosmo looked up at Keith, cocking his head in confusion. Keith shrugged. "I don't get them either, buddy," he said. 

Kosmo looked up at Shiro briefly before looking over at Lance, cocking his head the other way, ears twitching. 

Keith chuckled at his wolf, lightly patting him on his side. Kosmo looked back at Keith before his attention went back to the disgruntled Cuban. Slowly, he shuffled over, yellow eyes large as he did. He slid his head into Lance's lap, tail wagging languidly. He sat up as got closer before giving a long tongue lick across Lance's face, leaning back with a toothy smile and tail wagging feverishly. Keith laughed loudly, his hand covering his face as he leaned back into Shiro, rib hurting but he paid no attention to it. He knew there was a reason he kept Kosmo around.

Shiro laughed as the wolf pushed his way into Lance's lap. "I think he's got it covered for now," he joked as Keith pushed back into him. Even if they were in the hospital, he couldn't deny how happy these two made him.

Lance eyed Kosmo suspiciously as he edged closer, allowing the wolf to rest his head in his lap, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. When Kosmo leaned up and licked a long stripe up Lance's cheek, his face contorted in amused horror. "Kosmo!" he squawked. Seeing the wolf smiling and wagging his tail, Lance couldn't help but laugh along with Keith and Shiro as he spoke. "I told you a kiss wouldn't cut it! I want a grand gesture! Grand!"

Kosmo was obviously proud that he made all three of his humans laugh, barking excitedly a few times. He bowed forward, wagging tail nearly hitting Keith in the face but the Korean was too busy laughing into Shiro's chest to even register it. He barked a few times more at Lance before nuzzling into Lance's chest with the top of his head.

"I will not yield!" Lance cried in laughter as Kosmo pushed into his chest, threatening to topple him.

Keith smirked. "Might as well give up, he's as stubborn as his owner." He managed to say through laughter. 

Kosmo yipped and grumbled as he gently nudged Lance's chest.

"Never!" Lance stated indignantly, laughter still on his lips as he fell onto his back. "I demand my gesture of apology!"

Shiro laughed louder. "That's going to be difficult when we're not sorry," he explained as he squeezed Keith once before releasing him, sliding out to sit next to Lance. "But I think we can figure something out."

Keith smiled as Shiro drifted over to Lance's side. He pulled his legs closer to him, sitting pretzel style, hand resting gently on his right side. He watched Kosmo bark playfully as he nosed at Lance's chest and neck. It was a cute scene. 

Kosmo looked up at him, head cocked as if questioning why Keith wasn't joining in on the fun, yellow eyes confused. Keith gave his wolf a smile. "Next time buddy, I promise." 

Kosmo looked at Keith a moment longer before turning back to Lance...then back at Keith...wheels obviously turning. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Kosmo..." he said, trying to figure out what his wolf was doing.

Kosmo looked at Lance, giving the Cuban another kiss on the cheek before placing a paw gingerly on his chest, and then poofing.

Keith's eyes widened. "Kos-" only to stop when a weight hit his lap. Looking down, he blinked a few times when he saw Lance's head was now nestled in his lap, Kosmo looking up at him as if awaiting a reward, tail wagging. Keith chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he started to run his fingers through Lance's hair. "Gave me a heart attack, Kosmo, which is probably not a good thing right now brat," he said, playfully glaring at the proud looking wolf. 

Kosmo barked before turning back towards Shiro, looking at him, head slightly cocked.

Lance laughed again as Kosmo nudged at his chest and neck. When the wolf stopped and kept looking between him and Keith, Lance raised an eyebrow. Then suddenly there was a paw on his chest and Lance's eyes widened. All he got out was a startled "Hey!" before he was poofed a small distance, his head now in his boyfriend’s lap. Lance blinked a few times before laughing again and patting the wolf's side. Feeling Keith's fingers in his hair, Lance smiled. "I still don't know if this counts as a grand gesture. It's certainly a gesture, but..." He clicked his tongue and looked up a Keith fondly. "This is nice though."

Keith looked at Lance with a deadpan look before looking up at Kosmo. "Apparently I'm not grand enough Kosmo, sorry buddy," he said with a small chuckle. 

Kosmo looked over his shoulder at Keith, yellow eyes drifting down to Lance before looking back at Shiro.

Shiro blinked, surprised. He had been ready to pick Lance up and do the same thing, but the wolf had beat him to it. He saw how Kosmo kept watching him too. "No poofing me," he warned as he sat again next to Keith. He wasn't sure what the wolf wanted with him, but he kept staring him down.

"You're plenty grand, babe," Lance appeased, reaching a hand up to pat Keith's cheek lightly.

Keith smiled at Lance, his free hand gently grabbing Lance's as it fell back down and placed his back onto his cheek, leaning into it with a small blush. In a moment of affection, he turned his head and pressed a light kiss on Lance's palm before releasing it. Continuing with the affection, and knowing he couldn't bend down to kiss Lance, he pressed two fingers to his lips before pushing them onto Lance's forehead in a makeshift kiss as the blush deepened on his cheeks. He usually wasn't this romantic. He ignored the want to curl up and hide and continued to comb through Lance's hair, massaging the scalp periodically. 

Meanwhile Kosmo looked at Shiro before looking back at Keith. He approached Shiro's side, gently nudging him in the side as if pushing him closer towards Keith.

Shiro's understanding dawned. "Okay, you great matchmaker you," he grumbled playfully as he gave Kosmo a gentle approximation of a noogie. "I hear you." He maneuvered back into the position he was in previously, behind Keith so the smaller man could lean back into his chest if he wanted to.

Lance blushed and his eyes widened as Keith kissed his palm and then pressed two of his fingers to his lips before pressing them to Lance's forehead, his heart thudding in his chest. He closed his eyes as Keith played with his hair, basking in the affection.

Kosmo playfully growled at Shiro, trying to pull his head free but watched as Shiro moved behind Keith once more. Keith rolled his eyes at his wolf. "Sometimes I question what is going on in that brain of yours," he said towards Kosmo.

The wolf barked before giving Keith a soft lick on his bruised cheek and then nuzzling his neck, making Keith smile. Kosmo walked back down beside Lance, plopping down beside him and making Lance's stomach his makeshift pillow. 

"I've been appeased," Lance sighed. "You should count yourself lucky, wolf, that you've got Keith. Seeing as he's settling your debts."

Keith chuckled at Lance, his absentminded affection turning into a head massage for his boyfriend. "Glad I can be good enough for you." He joked as he began massaging Lance's temples. 

Feeling Shiro behind him, Keith gingerly leaned back into him, afraid of hurting his rib more than he already did with the laughing. He chirped once, quiet and happy, enjoying the warmth and affection that was surrounding him.

Lance brought a hand up to absentmindedly scratch behind Kosmo’s ear as Keith began to massage his head. Lance hummed pleasantly, a smile breaking out on his face at the chirp. His hum continued until it fell into a familiar rhythm and his smile softened as he hummed the song.

Shiro smiled, letting his chin drop onto Keith's shoulder as he watched him massage Lance's head. His eyes drooped slightly as he listened to Lance begin to hum.

Keith's smile grew fond as he tilted his head so it was resting against Shiro's. His fingers drifted back into Lance's hair, scratching the scalp lightly as Keith used one hand to push his mask down. He pressed a kiss onto Shiro's temple before nuzzling the spot with his nose. He pressed his cheek to the top of Shiro's head, other hand returning to Lance's impromptu head massage as he let his eyes shut as he listened to Lance's soft humming.

When Lance finished the song, he started another. Content to just lay there with them. He couldn't wait until they were out of there and could do this in their own bed.

Shiro smiled - his heart felt so full. He nuzzled back before letting Keith go back to massaging Lance's head. "This is nice," he murmured after a while. Calmer than he'd figured things would be. They'd fallen into this a lot easier than he would have thought, but they'd basically been doing it for a few months anyways so that made sense.

Lance smiled in agreement, but continued humming, moving onto the next song before furrowing his brows in confusion. He hummed a few more bars slowly before stopping and opening his eyes. "What the heck am I singing?" He hummed a bit more of the song, a look of concentration on his face as he tried to place it.

Keith smirked, thumbs gently massaging Lance's forehead. " _ Sha la la la/ my oh my/ looks like the boy's too shy/ ain't gonna kiss the girl _ ," Keith softly sang, voice a bit hoarse.

Lance laughed as Keith started singing. " _ Woah woah _ ," he continued as Keith stopped. " _ Sha la la la la la/ain't that sad/ it's such a shame/ too bad/ he gonna miss the girl. _ " Lance looked up at Keith. "I have no idea where that came from, but I'm glad you knew what it was. That would have driven me crazy."

Shiro snorted.

Keith chuckled. "Disney movies were popular in the group home," he explained with a small smile.

"They were popular at my house too. My niece and nephew used to watch them all the time. Been a while since I've seen any though. Still, I'm pretty sure I know all the lyrics to most of the songs." Lance smiled fondly. He couldn't wait to go visit his family after the war with Keith and Shiro. He missed them terribly.

"Sounds nice," Keith said softly, fingers moving to Lance's temples. It did. Warm. Happy. Everything a family should be and everything that Lance deserved. "How old are they?"

"Leo's uh...well he's around 10 now I think and Rosie should be 7? Maybe 8?" Lance let his voice taper off. He hadn't meant to be gone for so long. He'd missed a lot of their childhood and while it had made him very happy when they still remembered him after being gone for nearly five years,  _ thanks weird time distortion thing _ , he still felt sad. He hadn't meant to disappear. He hadn't meant to get himself caught in the middle of an intergalactic war. He just hoped that he wouldn't miss much else.

Keith hummed, frowning slightly when he heard Lance's voice drift off, no doubt thoughts about his family making it that way. "Maybe we can watch a few movies when we visit," he said, running a hand through Lance's hair. "You can sing their ears off," he said with a soft smile.

Lance took in a breath and shook his head slightly, smiling. "Believe me, they can sing louder."

Keith chuckled. "It will be an interesting choir," he said, scratching Lance's scalp with his fingertips.

Lance laughed. "Actually, my whole family's pretty good at singing. I'll make sure we serenade you guys when we get to Cuba."

Shiro hummed. Lance's voice wasn't horrible, so it might be okay. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed easily.

Keith smiled as he massaged the spot behind Lance's ears with his thumbs. "Might have to brush up on my Spanish before I go. Best serenades are in latin languages."

" _ Estaría más que feliz de ayudarte con eso, mi amor _ ," Lance said in a sultry tone, looking up at Keith with half lidded eyes and a smirk on his lips that threatened to pull into a full fledged grin.  _ (I'd be more than happy to help you with that, my love) _

Shiro wasn't sure what that meant, but he could feel his neck getting hot just from the tone and implication.

Keith looked down at Lance, a fond smile and slight blush on his face. " _ Solo quieres escuchar mi mal español, _ " he joked. " _ Han pasado algunos años desde que realmente lo he usado _ ," he said, blush deepening as he stumbled over a few syllables.  _ (You just want to hear my bad Spanish. It’s been a few years since I've really used it.) _

" _ No, solo quiero una oportunidad para seducirte con la mía _ ," Lance purred in a low voice, still smirking.  _ (No, I just want a chance to seduce you with mine.) _

Keith's blush deepened drastically, crawling down his neck and ears. " _ Neoneun nae jug-eum-i doelgeoya _ ," he muttered.  _ (You are going to be the death of me) _

Shiro tilted his head. " _ Geu ttoneun naneun _ ," he chuckled. He had no idea what Lance was saying, but it was turning Keith the best shade of red and it was amazing. _ (Either he or I will be.) _

Keith's eyes widened, turning to look at Shiro as his face and neck turned completely red. "Not you too."

Lance chuckled lowly. " _ Cambiar de idioma no te salvará, mi vida. Mi corazón. Mi mundo _ ," Lance teased, bringing a hand up to ruffle Keith’s hair lightly, before moving over to gently caress Shiro cheek. " _ Me pregunto. ¿Puedo seducirte también con mi sensual español? _ "  _ (Switching languages won't save you, my life. My heart. My world. / I wonder. Can I seduce you with my sultry Spanish as well?) _

Lance turned his half lidded gaze to Shiro as he spoke.

Keith wanted to curl into a ball and hide. He felt like his face was on fire. He used his hands to hide his blushing face. " _ Igeon nae ma-eum-e joh-eul su eobs-eo _ ," he grumbled. _ (This cannot be good for my heart) _

Shiro laughed a little. "I can parse enough to follow what you said. If you want to try sometime, feel free," he murmured as he leaned his head into Lance's hand. He wasn't sure if he was mortifying Keith, but he was going to roll with it for right now.

" _ ¿Tratar? Ya veremos _ ," Lance mused, smirking once more before closing his eyes the rest of the way and letting his hand come back down to pet Kosmo.  _ (Try? We'll see.) _

Shiro's brow wrinkled in confusion at that one. "Alright," he agreed, figuring that response was probably safe.

Lance smiled and licked his lips. He was going to have some fun with that.

Keith lowered one of his hands enough to peer over it at Kosmo. "Save me," he whispered to his wolf.

Kosmo opened his eye to look at Keith before closing it again, nuzzling into Lance. 

Keith frowned. " _ Neo naega baesinjaleul dasi meog-ilo meog-ileuljuneun ji hanbeon boala _ ." _ (See if I ever give you food scraps again you damn traitor.) _

Lance just snickered and scratched Kosmo behind his ear.

Shiro paused. "We can stop if you're uncomfortable," he suggested. He didn't want to force Keith into anything he didn't want to be a part of.

Keith shook his head, dropping his hands so they were once again combing through Lance's hair. He nuzzled Shiro, blush still on his cheeks. "I'm fine," he reassured. He just flustered easily and while he wasn't the best at sex talk or flirting, he didn't want to stop Lance and Shiro from doing it to each other. He didn't want to stand in the way of their relationship progressing. He just felt disgusting right now. Days of not showering would do that so even thinking about seducing and sex wasn't exactly at the top of his want list.

Lance reached near his head to pat at Keith's knee reassuringly. He trusted Keith to tell him when to stop. He knew the whole sex thing wasn't his cup of tea.

Shiro nuzzled back. "Alright. Tell us if we need to stop," he murmured before reaching a hand down to rub along Lance's good shoulder. He wanted to touch too, if he could. Lance was affecting him, he may as well give back some of what he was getting.

Keith hummed as he continued to absentmindedly play with Lance's hair, slowing down a tad as he leaned a bit more into Shiro, eyes closing.

Lance brought his left hand up to twine his fingers with Shiro’s, as much as he was able given the cast. He absentmindedly ran his thumb over the side of Shiro’s hand and hummed at the feeling of Keith still playing with his hair. He could feel himself falling back asleep. A small pang of irritated fondness sprang up as he thought of his mom who had given him this weird habit.

Shiro sighed happily and relaxed a little more. "Gonna get soft around you two," he groused half-heartedly.

"Like it hasn't already happened," Keith mumbled, muscles relaxing, fingers slowing more. 

Kosmo lifted his head, sniffing lightly. He turned his head, still sniffing as he started nosing Lance's abandoned sandwich.

Lance murmured an agreement incoherently, half asleep.

Shiro hummed again, detaching his arm and using it to take the rest of the meat from Lance's sandwich. "I'll get you a better meal soon, promise," he murmured so it hopefully wouldn't bother the others.

Kosmo gobbled the offered snack down, licking his lips afterwards. Keith eased an eye open when he felt the movement. "Give him my stupid broth," he lightly joked, closing his eye again.

Shiro hummed. "Reminds me, you should be drinking that," he chided softly. Keith couldn't get better if they didn't test his limits. Mila would probably be coming back soon to see if he had.

Keith hummed, shrugging lightly. "Should have my mask on too," he mumbled, turning his face more into Shiro.

Shiro hummed. "She was checking on a cannula, but yeah. It should be," he agreed, but made no move to correct it. They were so comfortable right now. He couldn't bear to disrupt the moment.

Keith's fingers stopped moving in Lance's hair as his body relaxed fully into Shiro, the young man half asleep. A faint, choppy purr began to come from Keith's chest.

Lance's descent into slumber halted when Keith's fingers did, but he didn’t open his eyes. He was so comfortable like this. He wished they could just lay here forever. Lance ran a thumb over the side of Shiro’s hand again.

Shiro hummed happily. He nuzzled gently into Keith's head again, wanting to express his love for this man into a gesture.

Keith fell into a light slumber, purr leveling out into a constant soft volume. A few coughs broke the rhythm, but Keith quickly relaxed afterwards.

Shiro decided it wasn't worth the internal debate right now. What would be, would be. He couldn't change it, so he may as well just embrace it. He shut his eyes, content to doze off along with the others.


	9. Chapter 9

A handful of minutes passed by, all three men (and a space wolf) slumbering peacefully. Kosmo's ears twitched was the only warning before a soft knock sounded. Kosmo opened his eyes and lifted his head from Lance's chest as the door opened, Mila's head popping in. 

She couldn't help but smile when she saw the three of them cuddled up, a fond expression appearing only for it to slip off when she saw the bowl of broth sitting on the table, spoon and food untouched.  _ Really you three? _ she couldn't help but think as she walked towards the food, her hands on her hips. She looked at the three, her frown deepening when she also noticed Keith's mask dangling around his neck and not attached to his face like it should be. She approached the bed, a sigh leaving her when she heard Keith's slightly wheezy breathing. The mask had obviously been off for too long and his lungs were starting to struggle. "Not how you get better, mister," she muttered.

Lance stirred and blinked open his eyes. Seeing Mila in his periphery, he turned his head and smiled sleepily at her. "Hey, Mila.”

Shiro twitched as Mila entered, entering consciousness but keeping his eyes closed. He didn't want to drag himself into awareness yet if he could help it.

Mila gave Lance a tense smile. "You three look comfortable," she said softly. "Did he not have an appetite?" she asked, gesturing towards the broth, slightly worried. 

Keith's brows furrowed at the voices but the injured man merely nuzzled more into Shiro and settled once more.

Lance hummed, then furrowed his brows. "We got distracted and then fell asleep. I think he misses real food though."

Mila frowned. "I would too if I hadn't eaten it in 5 days," she responded, her eyes sliding over to Lance. "You didn't pull on your stitches to get in that position, did you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing and her hands coming to rest on her hips

"Ah, no. I was poofed here as an apology," Lance answered, scratching Kosmo behind his ear.

Shiro opened his eyes slowly. "He's been behaving," he agreed quietly, nuzzling into Keith again. For some reason, being around Mila didn't seem to make his anxiety for public displays of affection spike.

"That's a first," Mila joked lightly, her fond smile lightening the teasing.

Keith shifted once more, nostrils flaring slightly as he sniffed, relaxing as he nosed into Shiro. His mouth was slightly open, pulling in air through it. Mila frowned as she looked at Keith's chest. "Did he take the mask off right after I left?" she asked, glancing at her watch.

Lance went to argue, but then nodded, conceding the fact. It was true anyway.

Shiro felt a pang of guilt at that. "Yeah. I think he'd be more open to the cannula, but the feeding tube needs to come out first, right?"

Mila nodded, reaching out towards Keith before stopping, remembering the night before. Her eyes looked up at Shiro. "Wanna slip the mask back on him? I'm afraid if he wakes up when I do it, it might cause a reaction. It might be better if one of you did it," she explained.

Shiro nodded, maneuvering his arms carefully so he was able to tip Keith's head to the side and slip the mask back on. He made sure not to snap the elastic and pet his hair afterwards to soothe him back to slumber.

Lance squeezed Shiro's fingers lightly before they completely slipped from his own and waited for Shiro to slip the mask back on Keith before tapping his fingers together. Lance hoped Shiro would understand he wanted his hand back without him having to say anything.

Keith chirped quietly as the mask was placed correctly, scratchy and hoarse, before he settled underneath Shiro's touches.

Mila smiled, hiding a chuckle behind her hand. "He really is like a cat," she whispered.

Shiro chuckled and nodded, releasing his hand to take Lance's again. He had planned on holding it again once Keith was settled, but it was nice knowing he wanted that too.

Mila smiled before sobering. "Well, I came in here to take the empty bowl away but..." she trailed off to look at the bowl, frowning. "If he doesn't eat something, the feeding tube will have to stay in."

Lance frowned. He knew Keith wouldn't like that. Lance tilted his head up to look at his boyfriend, debating on waking him.

Mila frowned, running a hand through her hair as she glanced at the broth before looking back at Keith. "I can see if Sorey will approve of him eating something with a bit more...substance? Rice or toast or...something he'll actually eat." She rambled slightly.

Shiro frowned. "We can get him to eat the broth," he agreed. "But some toast might not be the worst idea."

Lance glanced at Shiro before looking at Mila and nodding.

Mila let out a soft sigh. "Okay. Get him to eat the broth. I'm going to go grab some toast and bring it in with the supplies to rebandage both of you. Sorey should be in shortly after that to do the respiratory and strength test on Keith. He also wants to get a weight on him too, see how much he lost," she explained briefly. "I'll be back in 15-20 minutes," she said before heading out the door.

Lance sighed. That meant they all had to move. But he supposed it was only for a short while and then they could go back to cuddling all day.

Shiro nodded an agreement as he watched Mila walk out the door. He looked down at Lance and squeezed his fingers gently. "Hope he's not grumpy when we wake him up," he murmured.

Lance looked up at Shiro and smiled. "He won’t be if we wake him nicely," Lance said, reaching up carefully to take one of Keith's hands in his own and pressing soft kisses to the pads of his fingers and his palm.

Shiro hummed. "Better you wake him up then," he lilted. "Too many bad incidents of waking him up as a teenager."

"You could help, you know. He won't react badly if you wake him up with kisses. Besides, I can really only reach so much of him," Lance said as he peppered more kisses to Keith's fingers, moving up to his wrist. He really couldn't reach much more, laying in his lap.

Shiro looked contemplative before kissing Keith's temple, moving down to his cheek. "Wake up,  _ jagiya _ ..."

At the sound of Shiro's voice, Keith's brow furrowed slightly, fingers twitching in Lance's grasp.

"Time to get up, gorgeous," Lance muttered into Keith's palm.

Keith pushed his face into Shiro's body, chirping quietly as he nuzzled closer, obviously wanting to stay asleep.

Shiro chuckled. "C'mon babe. Once the doctor comes in we can go back to sleep, alright?"

Eyelids fluttered open slightly, sleep glazed purple exposed. Keith yawned slightly, mask fogging up.

"Are you awake yet, princess?" Lance breathed against Keith's fingers, continuing his ministrations.

Shiro smiled and continued pressing kisses to Keith's skin.

Keith's fingers twitched as he felt Lance's touches. "Not a princess," he muttered, turning his face to hide, eyes sliding shut once more. He couldn't stop the chirp though when he felt Shiro's kisses.

Lance chuckled as he kissed the base of Keith's ring finger. "Debatable."

Shiro chuckled. "Well, you're acting like a kitten to me. Want to come out and try some broth before Sorey comes in to check up on you?"

Keith yawned once more. "You're warm. Nice," he mumbled, eyes opening once more. "Broth?"

Shiro nodded. "Gotta try and get something in your stomach if we want that feeding tube out," he tried to convince him. "Mila is bringing toast too, to give you something solid and easy on your stomach."

Keith turned so his face was fully exposed, eyes opened. He looked up at Shiro before looking down at Lance. "Guess I couldn't get a hamburger, huh?" He joked with a weak smile.

Lance pressed one last kiss to Keith's palm before holding it against his cheek. "Not yet,  _ cariño _ . Gotta start small."

Shiro chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Lance is right. Gotta work your way up."

Keith grumbled but looked at the bowl of broth, frowning. "Don't want either of you to move though," he mumbled, a faint blush on his cheeks, "but Kosmo doesn't have thumbs."

At the sound of his name, Kosmo's head turned towards him, tail hitting the bed. Keith chuckled. "Calm down brat," he said fondly.

Kosmo grumbled but laid his head back down.

"It's okay, buddy. I like you even though you don't have thumbs," Lance soothed, releasing Keith's hand to pet the wolf. "And we're going to have to move anyway. They gotta change our bandages," he added, sitting slowly, letting go of Shiro's hand as he moved farther away. His right left Kosmo's fur to hold his side as he felt a slight pull in his stitches from the movement.

Once upright, Lance turned slightly so he could see his boyfriends, reaching out to pet Kosmo with his left hand this time. He smiled softly and rubbed at his eyes with his other hand, trying not to yawn and failing.

Shiro yawned. He supposed they probably should get up. Even though his arm could get simple things, he didn't want to test it with something regarding fine motor control like a bowl of soup. He was still sad when Lance released his hand, though. 

"That's true. Probably a bit overdue for changing them actually," he said as he noted the time, still not attempting to move while Keith was half lying on him.

Keith frowned as he felt Lance move away, an illogical sense of anxiety appearing when he was no longer touching him. He pushed away the feeling and using the little strength he had, pushing himself up to sit straight, lower back making him wince at times as he tugged at still tender wounds, his left hand coming up to rest on his ribcage. He smiled at Lance and Kosmo, the wolf obviously loving the attention he'd been getting, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. It was a precious sight. A domestic sight, and one that Keith loved to see. Watching the scene, Keith yawned, his free hand running through his long hair, frowning as he hit numerous snags as he did. 

A brush and a cup of white tea would also be a lovely sight he would like to see as well.

"Come here," Lance said, noticing Keith frowning and scooting closer to him, gesturing for him to turn slightly so he could sit sort of behind him. He began gently combing out Keith’s hair with his fingers. "Shiro, do you have a hair tie by any chance?"

Shiro contemplated before digging in his jeans pocket, producing one fairly easily. "Yeah, actually. Here you go," he said as he passed it over.

Keith watched as Lance maneuvered, slowly doing as he said. As he felt fingers comb through his hair, a soft smile appeared on his lips, growing more fond as Kosmo settled his head in his lap as well. "You're going to put me back to sleep," he said quietly.

"Thanks, babe," Lance said, taking the hair tie and pulling it over one wrist before braiding Keith's hair. "And don’t worry, I'm almost done." He secured the hair tie at the end of the braid and leaned in to press a kiss to Keith's cheek. "Finished."

Keith hummed when he felt Lance's lips against his cheek. "Thanks," he said, looking at Lance gratefully over his shoulder. His hair was getting quite annoying.

"It looks good," Shiro praised. He'd forgotten how much he liked seeing Keith's hair in a braid.

Keith blushed, pulling the braid so it hung over his chest, hand going over it. In a moment of spontaneity and affection, Keith leaned back and pressed a kiss to Lance's cheek. "It does look good. Thank you, it's been annoying me since I woke up."

Lance smiled warmly at him. "You're very welcome,  _ cariño _ ."

Shiro yawned. "Now, time for the eating end of the deal," he informed Keith as he stood to grab the bowl from the side table. "Think you can give it a shot?"

Keith sighed. "Not like I have much of a choice," he mumbled.

Shiro nodded. "That's true," he said as he took the spoon to stir it, testing the temperature. "It's still somewhat warm at least."

Keith cheered sarcastically. "Yum, brown salty water," he deadpanned. "Can't wait," he said as he pushed down his mask once more.

"It could be food goo," Lance said, shrugging. "Coran's food goo."

Keith chuckled, sending Lance a small smile his way. "Fair point."

Shiro looked amused. "Me feeding you, or do you want to feed yourself?" He didn't want to hurt Keith's pride, but he might not mind working the spoon for him.

Keith looked up at Shiro, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "I...I don't know if I..." He trailed off.

Shiro nodded, sitting down in front of Keith. "No problem,  _ jagiya _ . I offered."  _ God that blush is going to be the death of me. _ He got a spoonful ready and held it up so Keith could take it.

Lance smiled at the two of them, but looked away. He was pretty sure Keith wouldn't enjoy him watching him eat. He instead turned to Kosmo and scratched behind the wolf's ear. "We need to get you some actual food, too, buddy," he muttered quietly. Maybe he would ask Mila? No, she was busy enough. Maybe he could convince Kosmo to pop them over to Hunk.

Kosmo yipped, head leaning into Lance's touch. Keith leaned forward and took the offered food, swallowing it with a small wince before looking back at Kosmo and Lance. He lightly tapped Kosmo's side, fingertips giving him light scratches. He sent a thankful smile towards Lance, happy that Lance was keeping the wolf in mind. 

It was the small things that mattered, he thought, hand coming up to touch the braid, his eyes drifting back to the bowl of broth.

Shiro made a sympathetic noise as he winced. "Ready for another?"

Keith looked back at Shiro and nodded.

Shiro proceeded to feed Keith spoonfuls of broth, making sure the younger man was ready before he offered another.

The minutes passed in relative silence as Keith continued to eat the broth slowly with Shiro's aid. The door eased open, a cart appearing with Mila behind it. "Glad to see you finally eating," she said with a small smile before picking up a bowl from the cart. "But of course we can't forget our MVP." She shook the bowl slightly before placing it on the floor. It was full of Kosmo's typical meal - raw meat with rice. The wolf jumped up, yellow eyes on it, tail wagging. Keith smiled. " _ Gagi _ ," he said, gesturing towards the bowl.  _ (Go) _

Kosmo didn't wait, hopping off of the bed. Keith looked up at Mila. "Thank you," he said sincerely. 

Mila gave him a smile back. "Eat a few more mouthfuls while I set up to change your bandages, okay?"

Lance pulled his hand back into his lap as Kosmo left the bed to eat, turning as he did. He looked over at Keith and smiled. Seemed like he was eating alright. He directed his smile at Shiro then, silently thanking him for helping their boyfriend.

Shiro smiled back at Lance, a small touch of color on his cheeks as he lifted another spoonful up for Keith.

Keith continued to eat while Mila pulled on gloves and started setting up the bandages and gauze. He took the last mouthful as she finished, wheeling over. "Okay, can one of you help me take his shirt off, don't want to move that rib anymore than we have to," she explained.

Keith frowned.  _ This isn't going to be fun. _

Shiro nodded, putting the bowl down. "I can help," he agreed. He felt like this was familiar, he seemed to keep taking off and putting on his boyfriends' clothes today...

Mila sent Shiro a small smile. "Okay, go slow and ginger. The less we move his torso the better for him," she said, starting to bunch up the shirt, slowly starting to pull it upwards. "Hold out your arms a bit, hun," she requested, Keith doing as she asked.

Lance scooted a bit further away, giving them more space. He knew how this went. He knew he was next. Stupid stitches.

Shiro nodded, straightening and pulling as Mila bunched the shirt up and started maneuvering it upwards.

Mila placed the shirt on the bed once it was off, giving Shiro a thankful smile before she started examining Keith. "The small contusions seem to be scabbing over well," she said, ghosting a finger over some of them, "and the lighter bruises seem to be yellowing." 

Keith tried to not listen. Each wound had a story and he’d rather not remember them right now. 

Mila grabbed a pair of scissors and began cutting away the thick band of bandages that were wrapped around Keith's lower back. Next were the small pieces of gauze. She walked to the other side of the bed, gently touching the whip marks, frowning at them. "They're deeper than we originally thought," she mused. "I need to get Sorey, give me a second," she said with a small smile. "Nothing serious," she reassured before heading out.

Lance frowned as Mila left, then looked back at Keith and Shiro, wondering why she left. His heart rate jumped slightly as a tiny wave of panic washed over him. She said it wasn't serious. He's fine. It's fine.

Shiro took Keith's hand, gently squeezing it as Mila left the room. "Probably just checking if they need to apply more medicine," he soothed. Or stitches. Hopefully not...

Keith loosely wrapped his arm around his waist as he waited. Kosmo, done with his meal, headed over to Keith, pushing the top of his head against Keith's sternum. Keith gently pushed Kosmo back, the large wolf sitting down in front of Keith instead. With his free hand, he ran it over Kosmo's muzzle. "Enjoy your food?"

Kosmo gave Keith's palm a lick in answer. 

The door opened and Mila came back in, Sorey in tow. "Afternoon, gentlemen," he greeted as he pulled on a pair of gloves. 

"Hey, Sorey," Lance greeted back quietly as he walked into the room. 

"I see what you were talking about," he said towards Mila as he started examining Keith's back. "Give 2mg of cephalexin," he said before standing fully. "I'm giving you a different antibiotic as the one you're currently on doesn't seem to be preventing infections. Two of the wounds on your back are inflamed. They also look to be in the beginning stages of infection. Nothing serious but better caught early," he said. 

"They're still open as well, Sorey."

Sorey nodded. "They are deeper than we initially thought but beyond surgical glue, there's nothing else we can use, the skin is too damaged for stitches." Sorey sighed. "Go get some butterfly bandages, glue, and 3mg of local," he ordered, Mila leaving the room to gather the items. 

Sorey sighed again. "I'm going to reapply the surgical glue and place bandages on your wounds to hold them closed to get them to start healing better. The skin around the wounds is too damaged to use traditional stitches like we did with Lance," he explained. "I'll give you a local anesthesia but it will still sting and be painful while I move and pinch the skin. Understand?"

Keith nodded. "Sounds like fun piled on top of more fun," he mumbled. 

Sorey gave the young man a small, remorseful smile even though Keith couldn't see it.

As Sorey spoke, Lance frowned. After everything else they couldn't have this? Something else just had to happen, didn’t it. Because apparently Keith got no breaks.

He reached over to squeeze Keith’s fingers lightly with his own, the cast preventing him from holding his hand, like he’d like to, but Lance was sure Keith would appreciate the gesture all the same.

Keith gave Lance a small smile, squeezing the Cuban's fingers back. 

Shiro frowned and put his hand on Keith's shoulder for support. Seems like they couldn't get a break. "The new antibiotic is safe for Galra too?" Didn't hurt to ask, especially since he'd been poisoned before.

Sorey nodded at Shiro's question as Mila came back in, supplies in hand. She added a syringe full of antibiotics into Keith's IV while Sorey prepped the local anesthesia. "This is gonna sting a bit," he forewarned before sliding the needle into Keith's lower back, the young man wincing as he did.

"Give it a few moments to work," Sorey said quietly.

Shiro rubbed Keith's shoulder gently.

Sorey brought a chair closer, settling into it with a small table beside him. He opened the tube of surgical glue and a package of butterfly bandages. He waited a few more minutes before starting the laborious task of pinching the torn skin together and applying glue over it. 

Keith's head dipped forward, brows pulled together and eyes closed as he tried to keep his breathing even.

"1 to 10?" Mila asked softly 

"Five," Keith answered tensely. 

Mila looked at Sorey, the doctor shaking his head. "Get a dose of morphine on standby," he said. "I can't use any more local but we can do high dose pain meds afterwards. Might make you a bit loopy though."

Keith forced a smirk to appear. "Can't wait."

Lance frowned as he watched Sorey close the wounds on Keith's back. He wished he could do something. Wished he could take the pain away. He settled for squeezing Keith's hand lightly again.

Shiro watched as Sorey closed the wounds on Keith's back again, frowning. Would they stay shut this time? Would he have to go through this again? He hoped so, he hated seeing Keith in even more pain. He had to see it far too many times in his short life. "You always feel better when you're flying," he tried to joke. "No matter if it's drug induced or the real thing."

Keith looked up at Shiro, his eyebrow rising before he rolled his eyes. "Haha." He deadpan laughed before he hissed as Sorey pinched together a tender spot, fingers twitching beneath Lance's hold.

Shiro winced with him. "How much left," he asked Sorey quietly.

Sorey glanced up. "A wound and a half," he said, holding out his hand for some butterfly bandages which Mila quickly gave. "You're doing good, Keith."

"Be doing better if you weren't playing origami with my skin," Keith muttered, leaning his head forward so his sweaty forehead rested against Shiro.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand again, smiling. "You're not made of paper,  _ amor _ , that would be impossible," he said, trying to keep Keith's mind off what was happening. If only for a little.

Shiro hummed an agreement, reaching a hand up to pet Keith's hair.

Keith twitched underneath Shiro's hand as Sorey continued. He turned his head so he could see Lance. "Pale enough to be." He joked back through a wince.

Lance snorted. "That was terrible. I thought I taught you better than that," he stated, leaning over to press a kiss to Keith's cheek, before pulling back and smiling. "It's okay though. I still love you."

Keith rolled his eyes, a bead of sweat falling from his hairline, body quivering slightly. "I'm literally getting my skin glued back together, give me a break." 

Sorey frowned and looked up at Mila. "Gauze please."

Mila nodded and handed the requested items to the doctor.

"Right. Yeah, sorry," Lance said, swallowing. He had just been trying to keep Keith's mind off what was happening, but now he kind of just felt like a dick.

Shiro moved his hand from Keith's head to Lance's shoulder. "I suppose we'll give you a pass this time," he teased lightly, hoping Keith knew he was trying to help Lance feel better.

Lance turned a small smile towards his newest boyfriend.

Keith frowned at Lance's obvious change in attitude. He winced as Sorey started again, the medicine not doing as much as he hoped. "Lance..." he swallowed a whimper. "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes. " _ Lo siento. Te amo, _ " he whispered through gritted teeth.  _ (I'm sorry. I love you) _

Lance's eyes widened. "No, no. You didn't do anything. I just...it was me. I'm the one who's sorry, don't apologize."

Shiro frowned. "How about we don't worry about apologies right now, alright? We understand each other," he soothed quietly as he watched Sorey glue more skin together.

Sorey frowned. "Mila, make sure it gets documented that Clonixin doesn't work on half Galrans," he said with a sigh. "Few more inches, then we're done," he said, looking up at the back of Keith's head. “Then we'll give you a small break and we'll see if you can get rid of that mask."

Keith nodded slightly, head still leaning against Shiro.

Shiro leaned his head down to kiss the top of Keith's head gently. "Sounds like a good idea," he murmured.

Sorey quickly finished up, a few whimpers breaking through Keith's hold as he did. He wheeled back, peeling off the blood tipped gloves and putting on a new pair to bandage Keith. After he was finished wrapping his rib and his wounds, he stood, removing his gloves again. "I'll go get the equipment for the respiratory and strength test. Mind giving me a hand, Mila? We'll just be a moment," he said before they left the room.

Lance exhaled like he'd been holding his breath. Which he kind of had, not that he'd realized. He was glad that was over with. Hopefully everything would just heal now and that would be that.

Shiro took a deep breath. He knew how much the coming test would tax Keith, but wanted to stay upbeat. "Progress at least," he said with a smile.

Keith forced a smile, but it came out twitchy, content to simply lay against Shiro and catch his breath. "Think if I sue the Garrison I would win?" he mumbled, his eyes closed.

Lance hummed thoughtfully.

Shiro chuckled. "Worth a shot. Not like I didn't consider it."

Keith laughed weakly. "Feel like dating someone who sued your employer might be a blight against you two." He shivered slightly. "Can one of you two..." Keith opened his eyes, "help with getting my shirt back on?"

"Sure," Lance said, reaching for the shirt and moving to stand in front of Keith. After bunching the shirt up Lance held it out in front of him. "Hands first."

Keith leaned back from Shiro and did as Lance asked. His arms were slightly shaky as he did. "Be careful," he said. "Don't need to redo your stitches."

Lance chuckled. "Yes, dear." He maneuvered the shirt over Keith's arms before sliding it closer to his body and slipping it over Keith's head. He gently tugged it down into place, being careful to not let it rub against his back on the way down. "There," Lance announced, leaning in to place a kiss to Keith's nose and then brushing his own against it in an eskimo kiss. "Done." He smiled as he leaned back.

Keith smiled at Lance before reaching out and grasping Lance's wrist. He gently tugged him closer and looked up at him. He knew he was a sight. Bruised cheek. Tired. Stressed. Reaching up, he loosely placed a hand on the back of Lance's neck and brought him down into a passionate kiss, hoping Lance could feel his gratitude and love through the expression.

Lance willingly went forward as Keith tugged on his wrist, smiling fondly at him until Keith pulled him down further into a kiss. He made a small surprised noise in the back of his throat, eyes widening before sinking into the feeling and closing them. 

When they broke apart, Lance hummed, pleased, his cheeks had turned a bit red. Then he cleared his throat quietly, looking around as he willed the blush away, before finally locking eyes with Keith again and smiling brightly. " _ Me haces feliz _ ."  _ (You make me happy.) _

He looked over at Shiro who had turned away. He gently reached out and placed a finger under his chin, turning his head to look at him. He leaned in close, still smiling. "You make me happy too," he said softly, closing the distance between them and kissing him gently. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

Hearing Lance's words, Keith blushed heavily, his eyes widening slightly. He made Lance happy? He looked away from his boyfriends, the blush still painting his cheeks.

When Lance leaned back from Shiro his face was red again. He still couldn't really believe he was allowed to do that now. His heart fluttered happily at the thought. My boyfriends. He wasn't looking at either of them, a little embarrassed for some reason, but he knew he was smiling like an idiot. He could feel it and it only made his blush worse.

Shiro looked up in surprise when Lance tipped his chin and kissed him. He melted into it, letting Lance guide them until he pulled away. He could feel the color on his cheeks, could see it on all of theirs. He smiled, genuine and happy. "You both make me happy, too," he added, feelings starting to bubble up in him. He wanted to hide his face, but there wasn't any place to do that. He settled for looking down, hiding his gaze at least.

Keith licked his lips, wanting to reach up and feel Shiro's lips on his but also knowing that it wasn't feasible right now. 

The door opened again, Mila and Sorey appearing once more. She was holding a device in her hand while Sorey was holding a tablet. Mila paused as she took in their red faces, a soft chuckle coming from her but she quickly composed herself. While Lance would wash away the sisterly comment, she wasn't sure how Shiro would take it and she knew that sometimes Keith took them the wrong way and that was the last thing he needed right now. "Some rearranging needs to be done, gentlemen and Lance," she said, winking at her ‘younger brother’. "While not usually allowed, Sorey and I think it wouldn't be a bad idea if one of you sat behind Keith to help keep him steady. The spirometry test could make him a bit dizzy," she explained. 

Sorey nodded. "You might also feel lightheaded or short of breath afterwards a bit and you might start coughing for a bit. These are all normal reactions to the test," he explained further to Keith.

Keith sighed but nodded, understanding.

Lance scoffed, placing a hand to his chest. "Rude." But he stepped back to give them room and smiled at Mila.

Shiro looked up at them as they entered. "I can hold him steady," he offered. "If nobody else minds." He didn't want to take the role from Lance if he wanted it, or make Keith uncomfortable.

"Go ahead. Cuddles will probably be in order after and I'm up next at the rebandage station," Lance said smiling.

Shiro nodded and maneuvered until he was behind Keith, legs splayed on either side so he could relax back against him if needed. "How's this?"

Sorey nodded. "Perfect actually," he said as he wheeled a stool over so he could sit in front of Keith. "Now, this test is very simple. I'm going to use this," he held up a white clip, its shape akin to the one that a hairdresser would use, "to plug your nostrils. Then you'll take a deep breath and use this mouthpiece as you force it out. We measure it. Then repeat that twice. Best score is what we document. Got it?" Sorey asked with a small smile.

Keith nodded. 

"Now if you feel lightheaded or need a break, let us know." Sorey advised. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be I guess," Keith mumbled, obviously not wanting to do this test. 

Sorey gave Keith another reassuring smile before placing the clip on Keith's nose.

Keith’s upper lip curled at the feeling and he closed his eyes, trying to focus on the fact that Shiro and Lance were in the room with him. He wasn't sure why but a large part of him didn't want them here but Sorey was using Shiro as part of the test and he didn't want Lance to leave the room by himself. What if someone attacked him while he was alone? 

"Okay, breath in."

Keith forced his brain to turn off and tried to take in as much air as he could. 

"Now, breath out."

Keith did as he was instructed, his throat burning. 

Sorey led Keith through the process two more times before Sorey pushed away slightly, taking the clip off of Keith's nose. Keith coughed, turning his head away from the doctor; one of his hands resting against Shiro's left leg as he did.

Shiro frowned in concern, resting one hand on Keith's upper right arm to try and stabilize him as he coughed.

Lance watched as Keith went through the test, keeping a reassuring smile on his face just in case he needed it. He hoped that whatever the results, they were good. He knew Keith would be upset if they weren't.

Sorey looked at the tablet, frowning slightly as he calculated the amounts. "Okay, strength test then results," he said, handing the apparatus back to Mila. "This test is simple. You stand. Walk. We see how far you can go. Then we'll test arm strength," Sorey said with a small smile before looking at Shiro. "Can you support his left? I have his right," he asked, moving into position.

Keith frowned, the internal battle from earlier starting to replay once more. He glanced up to look at Lance, seeing the smile before his eyes fell again. He felt so weak. Pathetic.

Lance frowned slightly as Keith looked at him then let his eyes fall.  _ What does that mean? _ He glanced up at Shiro, brows furrowed.  _ Is he thinking this isn't going well? Or isn't going to go well? _

Shiro nodded, maneuvering into position. "Just give it your best shot," he said encouragingly, knowing Keith probably wasn't feeling great since he was seeing how much he'd weakened over the last few days. "Nowhere to go but up, right?" He gave a slight shrug to Lance, not knowing what was going on exactly but knowing enough of how he thought to take a guess.

Sorey looked at Shiro before looking back at Keith. 

"Lance. Stand over here," Mila called out, pointing to a spot about 10 feet away from Keith's bed. "Give you a little reward," she added, giving Keith a small smile.

Lance looked at Mila, hearing his name and raising an eyebrow in confusion as she pointed to a spot on the floor and told him to stand there. He moved anyway, wondering if he was in the way, but then blushed as she finished her sentence. "Am I the goal then?"

Mila smiled at Lance. "Give your boyfriend something to look forward to after all of this, better give him something good," she answered with a small chuckle.

Lance gave Mila a look, but then smiled warmly at Keith. "I think I can do that."

Shiro smiled. That was a good idea. "Ready to go for your prize?" he asked Keith.

Keith tried to keep the grimace off of his face, knowing that everyone in the room had good intentions but...he felt like a child...

He hummed in answer, adding a small nod to make sure his point got across. 

Sorey let out a soft breath, gently holding Keith's right arm. "Okay, on three, try to stand."

Sorey counted down and on three, Keith forced his battered body to stand. His legs shook as they supported his weight and the world around him tilted dangerously but he locked his knees and kept himself standing. Faintly, he could hear Mila tap something on her tablet. 

"Okay, deep breath," Sorey instructed. "Shiro and I are going to loosen our hold and then you're going to try to walk towards Lance. If you feel like you're going to pass out, let us know. We don't need a head trauma on top of this."

Keith nodded, letting Sorey know he was following along. He could feel their grasp lighten slightly and took it as his cue to walk forward. It was more of a shuffle, his foot barely leaving the ground but he moved forward. 

Sadly he only got 8 feet before his knee gave out.

Shiro nodded and followed Sorey's lead, loosening his grasp to let Keith walk forward. It was slow going, but he was doing it. Shiro was so proud of him for getting up so soon afterwards. 

...and then Keith fell, causing Shiro and Sorey to catch him. He let out a small noise as he caught him under the arm, keeping him upright. "Gotcha, babe."

Lance smiled as Keith moved towards him, then his eyes widened and his heart jumped as he dropped. Starting, Lance moved forward, arms out just in case, but stayed back as Shiro and Sorey caught him. He exhaled in relief, willing his heartbeat to slow.

Keith winced slightly as Sorey and Shiro caught him. They steadied him but he kept his head hung, the few wayward strands of his hair in front of his face. He couldn't even make it 10 feet. 

Sorey gave Keith a small smile even though the young man wasn't looking at him. "Good first try," he said before looking back at Shiro. "Let's get him back on the bed."

Shiro nodded, taking the majority of Keith's weight as they helped him back to the bed. "You came back from the brink of death. I think you did pretty well," he praised as he watched Keith continue to hang his head. He sighed internally. This was going to be a difficult road ahead of them.

Lance watched as they helped Keith back to the bed, feeling helpless. He offered Keith a smile though making sure it reached his eyes. He knew Keith was probably discouraged right now. "You did great, sweetheart."

Keith heard his boyfriends voices as Shiro and Sorey settled him back on the edge of the bed. He licked his lips and forced himself to look back at Sorey, knowing that he was wearing his emotions on his sleeve and he didn't want to do that. It was bad enough that Lance and Shiro were here to see him like this. Being ill or injured was one thing; being weak and pathetic was another. He hated being dependent on people. He’d been independent since he was 8. It was hard to turn that switch off. 

Sorey lightly patted Keith on his knee, "Okay, we'll pass the arm test for now. I think we should get some more food in you first honestly," Sorey said. "That probably impacted your strength test the most. You haven't eaten any food beyond broth in 5 days, Keith, keep that in mind, which reminds me, Mila can you please grab a scale?"

Mila nodded before heading out the door. "So I have some good news and some bad news." Sorey started with a soft sigh. "Your breathing. Better than I thought it would be but it’s still below good levels by about 15 percent. You can go on a cannula apparatus so no more mask, that's the good news. Bad news is you will be on oxygen for a bit. I suspect that damage and dead tissue from the toxin and the respiratory failure have permanently damaged your lungs, not horribly though, thankfully. Your oxygen levels are improving as well as the strength of your lungs but I foresee constant oxygen for at least a few more days then as days progress we'll test how long you can go without it but you will be discharged with an oxygen tank," Sorey stated clearly. "I'm hoping by the time you are discharged, it will be periodical oxygen but we'll see. This is something we can't play around with. "

Keith swallowed. He told himself that he wouldn't get angry but he could feel it bubbling within his gut. Because of a prejudiced woman, he had organ damage. Permanent organ damage. He didn't know if he wanted to scream or cry. 

"That being said," Sorey continued as Mila slipped back into the room with scale in tow, "respiratory infections are something that will have to be treated seriously in the future. The common cold can become serious. You're at an increased risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, and influenza now and those diseases will place you right back in a hospital bed on oxygen. We all know that you and the common cold are dear friends but unfortunately, it's no longer going to be an option to tough through it. When you get sick, you need to monitor it seriously. You will be getting a prescription for an inhaler as well. We will show you how and when to use it as it gets closer to your discharge time. I don't think it's going to be an everyday thing but you are going to have it because you will have to use it when you're ill. Do you understand?"

Keith nodded, eyes drifting towards an empty corner of his room as a million thoughts whirled around his head. On the other side of the room, Kosmo whined and headed towards Keith. He popped and reappeared beside Keith, leaning against the young man gently before sitting behind Keith, resting his head on Keith's right shoulder, giving a small lick to the cheek. Reaching up, Keith gently patted the top of Kosmo's head, giving it a light scratch as he continued to look at the corner, anger simmering as well as anxiety and fear.

Lance listened intently as Sorey spoke, his heart rising and falling in nauseating dips as seemingly good news was interlaced with bad news and when Sorey finally finished, Lance wasn't really sure how to feel. Keith's breathing was better than Sorey thought it would be. But he needed oxygen when they discharged him, needed an inhaler, needed to pay special attention to any colds. Lance felt anger bubbling up in his stomach again along with an overwhelming sadness. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to punch something or cry. Maybe both.

Shiro chewed on his lower lip, conflicted about how to feel. He was still worried. Angry. Afraid. A cold could take Keith down, and they were fighting on alien planets with god knows what illnesses and diseases. He looked to Lance, who looked like he was having a difficult time processing things too. Seeing as Keith had Kosmo, Shiro moved to Lance and settled a hand on his shoulder.

Lance glanced at Shiro as he came to stand by him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Slowly, he reached up with his right hand and intertwined their fingers.

Sorey took a deep breath. "I know it’s not the news you wanted but I know you also hate when things are hidden from you. Once you get a bit stronger, we'll put you on a stress test to measure cardiac damage. Your kidneys seem to be healing by themselves."

Keith swallowed, his throat tightening as tears threatened to bead up in his eyes. "My heart too?" he whispered.

Sorey nodded solemnly. "Your heart and cardiovascular system were attacked by the toxin. I don't want to say much until we actually conduct the test and get some data but we think your lungs got the brunt of the attack. That being said. Your heart did take some damage. It stopped. It’s that simple. Your heart stopped and when that happens tissue and muscle death happen. We're hoping that since you're young and your heart wasn't stopped for long, you'll bounce back in a month or two."

"And if not?" He had to know the worst case scenario. He had to know what could possibly be his future. His fingers curled in Kosmo's fur.  _ How damaged was he now? _

"The heart pumps oxygen and blood throughout the body. Without it functioning well enough, you'll find yourself lightheaded, dizzy, prone to fainting spells. Lower immunity. Irregular heartbeats and swelling in the legs and feet," Sorey answered softly.

Keith let out a shaky breath. He was better off dying in that cell.

Lance's fingers constricted unconsciously around Shiro's as Sorey spoke, his other hand curling into as much of a fist he could make with his cast. Tears started to fill his eyes, full of anger and regret. He blinked them away. Why couldn't he have stopped this.  _ Why am I so useless. _

Shiro's heart dropped into his stomach. That wasn't the worst, but it was horrible for Keith. He knew what he was probably thinking now, looked over to confirm it. He looked shaken to his core. Shiro squeezed Lance's hand back. "But that's not guaranteed. That's the worst case scenario, right? And I've seen how you are at poker, Keith. You pull it out when you really need to." He tried to give him a reassuring smile.

Sorey nodded with a small smile. "I honestly think the biggest hurdle will be your lungs. It might take a little time but," he let out a soft breath, "you'll heal Keith. Honestly...you're lucky to be alive. Keep that in mind, okay?" he said before looking over at Shiro and Lance. "You two are also going to have to keep an eye out for symptoms. We all know Keith," he said with a fond smile, knowing the sentence said it all. "And if you two get ill. Hand washing. Face masks. Especially for the first six months. Keith's lungs can't handle pneumonia right now. And he needs to rest." Sorey looked back at Keith. "And I mean it, Keith. I know your version of resting is cutting training half an hour early. No training or missions until you're cleared by me and that will take months. Your body went to hell then went to a deeper, darker part quickly after. It needs time to heal or you're just going to damage it more. Listen to your body. You're going to get fatigued more. You are going to have to understand you'll have to take breaks. Take naps. Got it?"

Keith nodded numbly. In the matter of five days, five short days, his whole life changed. Keith closed his eyes and kept them that way, afraid if he opened them, the tears behind them would fall.

Lance nodded at Sorey, indicating that he understood, but didn't say anything. Of course he would keep an eye on Keith. It was the least he could do after... _ after letting this happen _ . Keith didn't look like he was taking the news very well and Lance wanted to go over to him. Say something, do something, anything to put a smile on his face and help him see that everything was going to be okay, but...he couldn't. He was trying not to cry as much as Keith was.

Shiro nodded along with Lance, agreeing to keep an eye on him. Everything Sorey was saying was true. Keith would try to fight it tooth and nail, but he'd have to rest if they wanted the best shot at him bouncing back. He sighed, knowing both of them probably just wanted to cry and cling to each other. Truth be told, he wouldn't mind doing that either. But they still had to weigh in, and then they could get some rest. He just hoped Sorey kept the number private so they wouldn't lose more heart at how much weight Keith had lost.

Sorey licked his lips and looked at the three men, sighing softly. "Mila, a moment," he said, gesturing towards the hall.

The nurse got up and followed the doctor. He eased the door behind them, answering Mila's confused look with a soft smile. "I just dumped a bunch of info on them. Let's give them a few moments before we continue," he explained softly. 

Keith sat on the bed, head bowed, eyes closed. Numerous feelings played within him. Anger. Anxiety. Fear. Sadness. He didn't know what to feel at this moment. He just wanted to...he didn't know anymore. He just didn't know. 

Kosmo whined softly, nuzzling into Keith's cheek, whimpering again when Keith failed to acknowledge him.

Lance watched as Sorey and Mila left before turning back to Keith. He squeezed Shiro’s hand softly before letting go and moving to sit next to Keith. Laying his head on his shoulder, he reached over to pull Keith's left hand into his lap, intertwining their fingers. He squeezed his hand gently, saying nothing but letting Keith know he was there.

Shiro let Lance go easy, moving to sit on Keith's other side with his arm gingerly situated around his back.

Keith let his head fall to rest against Lance's. So many words wanted to come out but he didn't know how. A part of him wanted to apologize to Lance and Shiro. This wasn't what they’d signed up for when they entered a relationship with him. All the pain these two have gone through lately had one focal point: him. He wanted to weep and yell. He wanted to know which deity he’d pissed off. He wanted Lance and Shiro to be happy. He wanted to go into the jail cell and rip the nurse who did this apart. Lance and Shiro didn't deserve this and she caused them pain, in Keith's mind, that was enough for him to do harm. He wanted so many things and he didn't know how to vocalize it. So he sat. Silent. His boyfriends wrapped around him, the two men the only thing keeping him together. 

His thumb rubbed against Lance's hand, his anxious tick coming to life as he kept quiet, eyes closed, as he tried to quell the thoughts inside his head.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand again, then brought it up to his lips to place a kiss there, lingering a moment before gently bringing it back down to his lap. "Have I ever told you guys the story of how Mila and Pietro got together?" he asked finally. If he couldn't think of anything to say to ease Keith's worries maybe he could take his mind off it. "It’s pretty funny."

Shiro leaned into Keith but looked up when Lance spoke. "I've never heard," he said quietly.

Keith opened his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly. He shook his head again before closing his eyes once more, content to simply lean against Lance, Shiro's body weight on the other side a comfort; like a warm weighted blanket.

"So, it was about...six?...years ago now? I think, anyway, Mila had just been hired at the Garrison a few months before that, and Pietro got admitted for appendicitis. Apparently, just before his surgery while he was hopped up on whatever anesthetic they gave him, he started hitting on his nurse, which happened to be Mila." Lance smiled as he told the story. He chuckled lightly. "He didn't remember at all so when he came back three weeks later with a cut on his hand from the kitchen he didn't know that he'd already flirted heavily with the nurse helping him. Mila, of course, remembered and was highly amused that Pietro was using the same lines again. Plus, he was milking the injury for all it was worth, ‘like a baby’, Mila told me. Kept whining that his hand hurt, making a whole show of it, before Mila finally just laughed and kissed the bandage. She told me she'd moved before she could even think about it, but the way Pietro turned into a tomato just made her laugh again and got rid of any nerves she might have had from being so impulsive and forward with a patient. For the next few days, he kept coming back with little scraps and bruises for her to fix, hoping that she would be working. And each time after she'd wrapped him up, he'd just ask her to kiss it better. Finally he came in with a busted lip 'cause he convinced one of the other chefs to punch him." Lance laughed again. "Apparently he'd told his friend to 'do it for love'. But so when he showed up, Mila was shocked and rushed right over. But I guess Pietro just smiled at her, pointed at his lip and winked. And the rest is history."

Shiro had a soft smile on his face until the last sentence, which he started laughing. "That makes a lot of sense," he agreed.

Keith listened to Lance's story with his eyes closed, his boyfriend's voice lulling him into a sense of calm. It was nice and fit Pietro and Mila perfectly. At the end of Lance's story, Keith's lips twitched upward. "Sounds like something you would do," he mumbled.

Lance laughed quietly and his smile leaked into his voice. "Doesn’t it? I think that's why Pietro and I get along so well. And why Mila puts up with me."

Keith hummed, hand squeezing Lance's. "You're not horrible," he added, nuzzling the top of Lance's head slightly, a rare sense of affection going through him. "Cute too."

Shiro chuckled. "True. I think if you got punched in the face for it, I'd probably kiss you too," he agreed.

"Well, I mean." Lance smirked, lifting his head slowly to let Keith know he was moving so he could point at the healing bruise on his jaw.

Keith yawned, lifting his head away from Lance's. He leaned right back though, head tucking underneath Lance's chin.

Shiro looked fondly exasperated. "I'll get it later," he promised.

Lance winked. "I'll hold you to that. But you should know I charge interest."

He laughed in disbelief. "Okay," he responded as he snuggled closer to Keith.

Keith chirped softly as he felt Shiro curl around him, enjoying the warmth. A sense of security nearly sending him to sleep. He was safe here. Shiro and Lance won't let anything bad happen to him. "Don't forget about me," he mumbled before yawning. "Kisses."

"Never will," Lance said, squeezing Keith's hand. He couldn't really give Keith a kiss with how his head was tucked under his chin. "Shiro and I will give you all the kisses."

Shiro practically melted at the quiet chirp. So cute. He emphasized Lance's point by peppering kisses to parts of Keith he could reach.

Keith hummed, enjoying the warmth that came from the affection. He couldn't help but curl deeper into Lance, a quiet, hoarse purr starting as he did.

Lance just smiled fondly. Things would be okay as long as they could still be like this.

Shiro grinned. This was perfect. Everything was perfect. He settled, snuggling into his boyfriends, basking in the quiet moment.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Panic/Anxiety Attack

A quiet knock was the only warning the three got before the door eased open and Sorey and Mila reentered the room. Sorey gave the three a soft smile as Mila headed towards the small portable table to set up. "Feeling better?" Sorey asked as he wheeled up.

Keith opened his eyes, embarrassment and anxiety flashing through him but even with those two things couldn't bring himself to move. Lance and Shiro were safety. They would keep him safe. 

"I don't mind if you two stay on the bed, but I just need to have Keith face me," he said, looking towards Lance and Shiro before smiling towards Keith. "Time to get that feeding tube out."

Lance nodded and inclined his head a little so Keith could slip out. He knew this would make him happy.

Shiro squeezed Keith lightly before releasing him to sit up, still keeping a hand on his arm. "That sounds like a good plan." He was sure Keith would feel better once he could move around a little more freely.

Keith sat up, eyes slowly opening. Sorey gave the young man what he hoped was a reassuring smile before pulling on a pair of sterile gloves. "Okay, on the count of three I want you to make yourself cough," Sorey said as he grasped the feeding tube. "One. Two. Three."

Keith coughed as the tube crawled up his throat. Once out, he turned away and continued coughing, tears springing to his eyes. 

Sorey placed the tube on the table and waited for Keith to stop.

Lance blinked, realizing what was about to happen and immediately knowing he didn’t want to see it. He instead trained his eyes on Mila as he heard Keith cough beside him. She gave him a small smile when she caught his eye and a reassuring nod. Lance's lips twitched into a thank you smile in response.

Shiro winced slightly as he watched the tube be pulled from Keith's nose, watching as he coughed somewhat violently. He squeezed Keith's arm gently, glancing to Lance to see how he was doing. He seemed like he was fine, eyes locked with Mila as she nodded. His lips twitched upward in amusement before he turned back to Keith.

Keith looked up at Sorey once he was done coughing, wiping underneath his eyes as he sat back up.

"Okay, next, mask," Sorey said, leaning forward to take the mask off of Keith's face and detaching it from the wall oxygen. He set aside and picked up the cannula apparatus. He set it on Keith's face and allowed the young man to settle it in place. "Comfortable?"

"More comfortable than the mask," Keith muttered. 

Sorey chuckled. "Fair. Hate to say but you'll have to get used to it."

Keith frowned at the reminder but nodded nonetheless. "Now, Mila is going to administer a high dose of morphine into your IV to help with the pain. You might get a bit drowsy but that's okay. That's normal. Later, we'll start hashing out a recovery plan and eventual discharge, okay?"

Keith simply nodded, his eyes trained on Mila as she pushed a syringe full of medicine into his IV, a sense of anxiety and fear coursing through him.  _ She wouldn't hurt me. She's Lance's friend. _

Shiro let Keith's hand go so he could adjust the cannula, making mental notes of things he would have to suggest to Keith to make it more comfortable. More likely he'd wind up forcing him to do them, but if that's what it took he'd do it.

He watched as Keith tensed while Mila administered the morphine, reaching a hand out after she finished pushing it in. "Mind if I check the label?" He hadn't done that last time and Keith had been injured severely - he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Lance watched as Sorey switched out Keith's oxygen mask for the cannula. Hopefully Keith would be a little more comfortable now. A pang of hurt shot through him at Shiro’s words, but he immediately backpedaled. He could understand why Shiro asked even if Mila would never hurt Keith. But it still made him feel a little weird, caught in the middle. He wanted to defend her because of course she would never. Mila was family. She loved Keith. Lance knew that. But...he could understand why maybe Shiro wouldn't. So he kept quiet and pushed down the irrational feeling that Shiro didn't trust him.

Mila glanced at Sorey, the doctor nodding before handing over the empty syringe. 

Keith looked up at Shiro, partly wondering why he asked but also somewhat calmed from the action. He knew it was stupid. Mila could be trusted. Lance has proven that numerous times and she and Pietro have been nothing but warm and welcoming to him.

Shiro took the syringe with a nod of thanks, turning it over until he could find the label.

_ Morphine SULFATE 4mg. _

Well, that seemed appropriate. And correctly labeled. He handed it back over, nodding. "Sorry. I just..."  _ need to be sure _ , he finished silently.

Mila gave the commander a small smile. "It's fine. I understand."

Keith frowned. Is this their future? Second guessing everyone's move? Their motives? He let out a soft sigh. What else could they do? But he also didn't want to live in fear, nor make Shiro and Lance live like that either. 

"Give the medicine about 10 or 15 minutes to work," Sorey said before looking over at Lance. "Your turn. Sit on the edge."

Lance looked at Sorey as he spoke, nodding and angling himself forward again. He squeezed Keith's hand again before letting go so he could reach up with his cast arm and pull his shirt over his head, setting it on the bed next to him. He was getting better at maneuvering the stupid thing at least.

Shiro watched as Lance maneuvered himself into place, managing to get the shirt off on his own this time. That felt...conflicting. He still wanted to help, but knew it wasn't appropriate, especially with the present company. He settled for squeezing Keith's hand as well, leaving it in his grasp.

Sorey nodded and began cutting away the bandages to peel them off of Lance's torso. He gently examined the wound before smearing another glob of antibiotic gel over it. He then placed bandages over the wound once more then repeated the process with Lance's shoulder. "Okay, looking good for having torn the stitches yesterday. Keep it clean and you should be good. You're officially discharged so technically upkeep is up to you now."

Keith squeezed Shiro's hand back and watched as Lance's wounds were being rebandaged, a sharp sense of guilt washing over him. As the process went on, he could feel the morphine starting to kick in, his head growing fuzzy and his body leaning towards Shiro.

Lance sat still as Sorey rebandaged him, not really feeling much but a small pain in his shoulder. He nodded when Sorey told him he was discharged, then his eyes widened and he whipped his head up to look back and forth at Mila and Sorey. "We can still keep the extra bed right?"

Shiro leaned more into Keith, letting him know subtly enough that it was okay to relax against him. At the question Shiro's heart clenched a bit. "...Lance. We're going home," he told him quietly, hating that he had to say it out loud. "We can visit Keith, but we can't...stay."

Lance turned his head sharply to look at Shiro. He...hadn't even considered that. Why would they leave? He couldn't leave. Keith would be alone...Lance didn't know if he could do it.

Keith leaned further into Shiro, a frown pulling his lips downward. Lance and Shiro were leaving? Who would protect him? He chirped quietly, the noise tinged in sadness and worry. 

Sorey gave Lance a small smile. "It can stay for another day or two. Keith will be moved into a private suite once he's discharged from ICU and admitted to Internal Medicine. He will be the only one roomed in that suite with guards posted on the door. Mila and I will also remain his doctor and nurse until an thorough investigation is done to make sure there aren't any more people involved in this assassination attempt," Sorey explained. 

Keith's frown deepened. If there were more people shouldn't Lance and Shiro stay? What if the guards were a part of it? Subconsciously, his hand reached up and latched onto Shiro's shirt.

Shiro frowned and switched to hold Keith's arm with his right, his left wrapping around his back to pull him in gently. He knew they couldn't stay forever. It still made him feel like shit. "Three of us won't fit without the spare. Lance can probably stay off duty if he has a note, but I can't." He was sure Iverson was already furious at his absence. He looked up to Sorey. "Nobody else will be put in here with Keith until he gets moved?"

Sorey shook his head. "No. The investigation is still in progress, it would be too dangerous to. Only authorized personnel are allowed within Keith's hospital room. I presumed that the security might continue to his bedroom if the investigation is still ongoing when he is discharged."

Keith blinked, his drug addled brain slowly processing what Sorey said. The Garrison actually cared enough to follow through with an investigation? Iverson allowed it? Keith curled further into Shiro, turning his head so his face was pressed into Shiro's chest.

Lance nodded. That was good that there would be security. Maybe he could stay off duty until Keith was better. Maybe then he'd feel better. A small voice in the back of his head told him he was never really going to be okay with leaving Keith alone ever again. Or with letting him go on missions. Lance paled slightly. Keith was going to eventually want to go back on blade missions. He forced down the panic that rose at the thought. Maybe it would be okay once it actually happened. Yeah, it would be fine.

Shiro nodded and raised his hand up so it was on the back of Keith's head, cradling him closer. "Good." Keith had to stay safe. He'd let him down once before, but he wasn't going to do it again. Part of that was his security detail. "Don't suppose you can write me a note too," he joked, looking at Sorey. He wished it worked that way.

Sorey chuckled. "I could if need be. I'm sure you could use a break after this ordeal."

Keith hummed softly as he felt Shiro's hand touch the back of his, his content little chirp muffled by Shiro's chest.

Shiro smiled and let his head rest lightly on Keith's. "I wish I could, but I need to get back." The head of Voltron couldn't take extended breaks. Besides, he was going to root out any of Laogai's associates if they existed.

Lance deflated a little as he tuned back into the conversation. He thought they could all use some time together after everything that had happened. He didn't want Shiro to go back yet. Especially since they were dating now. They wouldn't be able to spend much time together once Shiro went back to work. And Shiro wasn't a pda person...Lance was going to have to work really hard on that.

Keith frowned. Shiro was going back? So soon? His hand tightened on Shiro's shirt. Who was supposed to protect him and Lance? Lance was injured. He didn't want Lance to get injured again because of him. Not again. Turning his head, tired purple eyes looked towards Lance. Why was he so far away?

Sorey sighed and stood. "The offer stands. Lance is on leave from missions until he's cleared from physical therapy. He does go back to classes though as soon as the stitches come out in a few days."

Lance sighed, suppressing a groan. Right. School. 

He caught Keith's gaze out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. He didn't really know what that look meant. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

Shiro nodded to Sorey before looking over to Lance and then down at Keith. He looked a bit dopey, but that was probably the morphine.

Sorey laughed. "I'll leave you three then." 

Mila gave the three a smile as Sorey left. "I'll be back later with food." She laughed as she watched Keith's eyes slowly close before opening again. Keith was obviously feeling the effects of the high dose morphine. Lance and Shiro were going to have fun. 

Once he opened his eyes, Keith frowned at Lance's question. A small yawn came before his answer came. "Far," he mumbled, curling further into Shiro, enjoying the warmth that the larger man was giving and the safety that came from it. His thoughts were muddled and everything seemed to be going slow for him. He didn't like it. At all. He felt vulnerable.

Lance glanced up at Shiro before looking back at Keith. "Far?" Confusion settled on his face. "What is?" he asked, looking around. He eyed the minimal space between them. Lance raised an eyebrow. "I am?"

Shiro melted a little and rearranged them so they were laying back more comfortably. "C'mere," he urged quietly, motioning for Lance to join the pile. He wanted to enjoy the free time he had left with the both of them.

Lance smiled, amused. He scooted back on the bed, leaning against Keith gently, being mindful of his own bandages. Taking one of Keith's hands into his own he used his other to pull his shirt onto his lap. He could get help putting it back on later.

Feeling Lance's body against his own made Keith chirp happily, a small smile appearing on his face. He squeezed Lance's hand before bringing it up and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Love you both," Keith mumbled, eyes slowly closing and opening.

Kosmo peered over the edge of the bed before jumping on to it, and curling up over the three men's feet, chin resting on Keith's knee. "Love you too," Keith added.

Shiro chuckled. "Love you too, babe," he murmured quietly and pressed a kiss to his hair.

" _ Te amo tambien, mi amor _ ," Lance said, smiling fondly. He glanced up at Shiro and blushed. He hoped someday he could say those words to him too. Saying 'I really like you' just didn't have the same ring to it.

Keith hummed. "Feel...fuzzy," he muttered. " _ Naneun geugeos-eul joh-ahaji anh-a _ ."  _ (I don't like it.) _

Shiro made a sympathetic noise. "It'll be okay. Lance and I will keep you safe," he said quietly. "Just...drift for a bit." Gods knew it was going to be painful once the medicine wore off.

"Yeah, well be right here," Lance agreed, squeezing Keith's hand.

Keith frowned, his brows furrowing. "But Shiro has to go to work, and Lance you have to..." Keith trailed off, snuggling more into Shiro.

Shiro felt conflicted. "I don't have to go back yet," he said softly. He should, but he didn't have to. Sorey could...but Shiro needed to find who else was responsible for this. He looked to Lance helplessly.

"I'm not going back until you're 100%, I don't care what they say. And maybe Shiro could stay a little longer? And then go back only part time. I want him to stay with us too," Lance stated, catching Shiro's eye as he spoke his last line. He knew Shiro needed to get back to work soon. He wasn't hurt and he was a commanding officer. They'd need him sooner rather than later if they could. But Lance didn't want to let go of his new boyfriend either. He wanted to be selfish while he still could before he had to push it all down while they weren't at home.

Shiro looked down, color on his cheeks. He was still conflicted, but he knew what would end up winning out. "Sorey can put me on limited shifts, but I'll have to report in a few hours," he compromised. Iverson was probably having kittens, given how he'd reacted to them standing up to him after their bonding. And Shiro still needed to figure out what they were going to do about Voltron when they were down two pilots. On second thought, maybe he could use the down time to think.

Keith blinked, absorbing the info. "Voltron and space need you," Keith mumbled, eyes slipping shut momentarily. "Don't wanna burden."

"You need us too, and you're more important," Lance stated. "And don't argue with me," he added, squeezing his hand again.

Shiro hummed his agreement. "Voltron and space know where to find me if they need me badly enough," he murmured as he relented. "And you are never a burden, not to either of us." He moved his hand to wrap around what part of Lance he could reach and pulled them both closer.

Keith blinked at Lance. "Do you not like when I argue...I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I'll be better," he added softly. He frowned, not liking that those words left his lips. Tilting his head back, he looked up at Shiro. "'Kashi? I don't like morphine..."

Shiro's face fell a little and he pressed another kiss to Keith's hair. "I know,  _ jagiya _ ," he agreed. "We won't give you this much again if you don't want it."

Lance leaned closer as Shiro pulled him in, maneuvering so he wouldn't be leaning on his stitches. Lance started to speak but found the words caught in his throat. He took the time to gather his thoughts during the brief conversation between Keith and Shiro. 

"You know I don't mind when we argue, Keith," he said softly, "I just..." He paused for a moment. How did he want to say this. "I know you. And you devalue yourself a lot. And...I just wish you would let us put you first." Lance sighed.

"No more pain though," Keith mumbled before looking at Lance as he spoke, brows furrowing as he did. "I'm fine," Keith whispered. "Gotta be. You two can't be held up with me. Life continues. War continues." He paused to yawn before continuing. "I'm gonna be out for a while...especially with the oxygen...I hate this. Why did she do it? What did I do wrong?"

Shiro wasn't sure he could find words to answer. "You didn't do anything wrong," he finally said. "People are just...horrible, sometimes. They blame people for things they didn't do because they think everyone is the same. They're narrow minded and bigoted and wrong." He could feel himself getting angry, but tried to rein it back in for Keith's sake. He'd probably blame himself again. He let out a deep breath. "And it's our job to care about and be concerned for you. Part of why you picked us."

"Exactly," Lance agreed.

Keith looked down.  _ A job? _ He looked at his hands, fingers clenching and unclenching. Is that all he was? Something that needed to be done? A tear slipped down his face unknowingly.

Shiro backpedaled mentally. "Whatever you're thinking, no," he said quietly. "We would choose you every time. Lance did before we even knew about the imprinting. You mean everything to us," he admitted. "You know how much I'd do for you."

Lance reached over with his cast hand, gingerly wiping the tear off Keith's face with his fingertips. "We love you so much, Keith. We really would do anything for you."

"Why?" Keith couldn't stop the question. "I don't...I'm not...why? What do I do for you? I'm just...nothing," he whispered.

"Sweetheart, you do so much for us. You make us happy, you always have our backs, you make us stronger, you support us, you make us laugh, you make us smile, and so much more. You love us. What more could we even ask for?" Lance said, using his hand already by Keith's face to brush his fingers through Keith's bangs. "You're not nothing. You're Shiros and my hearts. I definitely think that's something." He smiled warmly.

Shiro's tongue was tied after everything Lance had said. He settled for nodding and snuggling closer.

Keith blinked as Lance spoke, tears falling from his eyes. The sincerity in Lance's voice made him want to lean forward and wrap the Cuban man in his arms. "I don't know what I did to deserve you two..." he muttered. "Will you take notes for me Lance, when you go back to class? Shiro won't be happy if my grades fall, not sure why though..."

Lance wiped away the other tears, amused at the change in topic. Lance never took notes. Keith never took notes. "Sure, sweetheart. Whenever I go back I will take notes for you so we can keep Shiro happy."

Shiro snorted a little. "Neither of you take notes, you steal mine from my tablet," he noted. "And think that I don't notice when you recycle my essays."

Lance looked pointedly in the other direction, pasting an innocent look on his face. "I uh...have no idea what you're talking about."

Keith giggled. "We know the info that's what is important right? And you're not our teacher so no harm done. Just put an A on it and call it a day. Mentor." He gently patted Shiro's chest. "Mentee. Logic. Plus it’s not like I have a career here. Graduate then be a Blade and your boyfriend. Simple. Done."

Shiro frowned. This was adorable, but not the point. "Even if you choose to do something else with the Blades, I'd rather you accomplish your degrees with your own power. You can ask for help, but you two are smart. You can do it on your own." He would have to consider password protecting his account, for all the good that would do with Pidge around. "Besides, I TA for Sam sometimes, so I'm close enough to being your teacher."

Lance couldn't help the light blush that formed over his cheeks at Shiro's compliment.

"Isn't it smarter of us to use our resources?" Keith muttered. "And use all of our resources to their highest abilities? And if you just happened to have information on the topic we're writing, wouldn't it be wrong of us not to use that resource?" Keith leaned back slightly so he could look up at Shiro with slightly furrowed brows, eyes unfocused slightly.

"He's not wrong," Lance said, raising his eyebrows at Shiro and shrugging.

Shiro shut his eyes and groaned in exasperation. "At least ask,” he requested. "I can talk it over with you. Don't carbon copy steal my work. Someone will catch on." And then they would all be in the deep end.

Keith slowly blinked up at Shiro. "But...you're always at work. Don't wanna bother you. Busy Takashi, always busy. Miss you," he mumbled as he shifted back to lean into Shiro's chest, nuzzling it with his cheek.

"Again...not wrong," Lance mumbled, his expression dropping a bit as he looked away again.

Shiro's expression dropped. "I don't...I mean..." He didn't work that much, did he? He knew he had a lot of meetings and extra job duties, but he didn't think he'd been neglecting them. His eyes opened and he looked between the two of them.

Keith shook his head. "It’s fine. We all are busy...just...miss you two." His eyes slid shut. "Miss this. Just...not with the nearly dying part. That hurt. You and Lance a thing now too. Good." Keith rambled. "Deserve it. Happiness."

Lance turned sad eyes on Keith. "We have all been really busy lately..."

Shiro felt like shit. "I'll try to make more time for this," he promised. He didn't know if he could make it happen, but he would try. "Besides, now we can all cuddle together. That should help some." No more taking turns would definitely help.

"It's fine. We can catch up while I'm confined in my room for...a while." He trailed off. "I hope I can fly again..." he whispered.

Lance hummed, and squeezed Keith's hand. "You will, cariño."

Shiro teared up. "You definitely will. You're not getting out of this that easily." Hopefully the joke would diffuse the tension of the situation some.

"Don't wanna get out of it," Keith mumbled, head dipping slightly. "Not good at anything else..." He reached out and gently grasped Lance's hand, flipping it over and began tracing the lines on the Cuban's palm. "Not smart like Pidge and Hunk. Can't shoot a gun or strategize like Lance or lead like you. Just the hot-headed dropout." Keith ended his rambles with a chuckle and an uneasy smile. "I'm just Keith..."

Lance watched as Keith played with his hand. "That's not true. You're a great leader, Black wouldn't let you pilot him if you weren't, Shiro wouldn't have chosen you to lead after him if he didn't believe you were and I was your right hand for a while, I've seen just how incredible you are from the front seat. You're plenty smart, and you're the best pilot we've got, plus you're an amazing fighter. No one can handle a sword like you and you're super fast too. Sometimes you can clear a room of sentries before I even get a shot in. It's really awesome, Keith. And yeah, you might be hot-headed sometimes still, but only because you are willing to do whatever it takes for the things you believe in and that's pretty cool to me. So you're not just Keith. You're Keith, pilot of the red and black lions of Voltron, member of the Blade of Marmora, defender of the universe, and our boyfriend. You are important and needed and loved, okay?"

Shiro nodded. "Lance is right. You're amazing, Keith. You just can't see it because you're too close to yourself." He watched as Keith played with Lance's hand. "And we're going to tell you as many times as it takes until you believe us, and continue to do so after. I wouldn't have taken you under my wing if I didn't see how amazing you are."

Keith paused in his movements as Lance spoke and curled deeper into Shiro as he continued. "You're both so nice," he whispered. "Pretty too. So pretty."

Lance decided to just roll with it. He placed the hand Keith wasn't holding on his chest and feigned happy surprise. "You think I'm pretty?"

The tips of Shiro's ears turned red as he listened to Keith and Lance talk. He probably shouldn't have enjoyed that as much as he did.

Keith smiled. "Pretty. Handsome. Kind. I like your eyes. So blue. Like the sky. Sunshine. That's what you are. Bright and warm. You're both warm!" Keith tipped his head back, his smile a bit dopey. "And you're pretty too. Strong. Protective...but you both are. I like that. Never been protected before." Keith snuggled back into Shiro's body. "Safe. You two are safe and I love you two. Happy you're mine."

Lance blinked a few times, eyes wide before his face burst into flames. He looked to Shiro. "I think I may have died, am I dead?" Why did Keith have to be hurt right now, he wanted to just wrap him up in a hug and smother him in kisses and never let go. He settled for kisses. 

Lance leaned over farther and peppered Keith's face with butterfly kisses. "You. Are. So. Freaking. Cute. I. Love you. So. Freaking. Much. You're. So. Adorable. What the hell."

Shiro's face flushed red and he looked to Lance, who seemed to be doing the same. That was...also adorable, to be honest. He let himself smile, laughing as Lance kissed Keith all over.

Keith chirped happily as Lance plastered kisses across his face, the joyful noises and giggles coming out through the whole thing. "So cute.  _ Kiyomi _ . My  _ wangjanim _ . You both are," he said with a smile before booping Lance on the tip of his nose. " _ Kiyomi _ ."  (cute, Prince (pet name))

Shiro slowed down to chuckles. "Yes, Lance is cute. As far as being your princes, if you want us to be we don't mind. Do we, Lance?" He looked to the other man, eyes amused. Keith wasn't hiding his affection at all, which was unusual but one of the best things ever. He loved seeing Keith happy.

_ Ugh, my heart _ . Lance thought as Keith booped him on the nose. He caught Shiros eyes and smiled, still blushing slightly from the compliments. "Of course we dont mind, princess," Lance said, picking up Keith's hand gently and placing a kiss to its back.

Keith smiled, a small blush appearing. "So many names. Love them. Love you. You're so nice. Nice Lance. Nice Shiro. Pretty Lance and Shiro." Keith frowned. "My head feels weird."

Shiro looked amused until Keith said his head felt weird. Then he turned concerned and serious. "Like you're going to pass out, or just funny?"

"Fuzzy. Hard to think," Keith mumbled. "Like I'm drunk..."

Lance chuckled and looked at Shiro. "If it weren't for the reason why he's like this, this would be my new favorite thing."

Shiro eased up again, looking at Lance as he spoke. "I know what you mean." He looked back down. "Morphine will do that, Keith. Just try to enjoy the ride while you have it," he soothed.

Keith scrowled. "Don't like this ride..." he mumbled, turning his head to hide his face. "Not in control. Don't like it. You smell good," he added before yawning, nuzzling into Shiro.

"He does wear really nice cologne, doesn't he," Lance agreed, leaning back against the headboard more and rolled out his right shoulder a bit. While he liked cuddling with Keith, the position wasn't entirely ideal for a healing shoulder and side wound.

Shiro looked confused. "I don't..." He never wore cologne. Well, hardly ever. Special occasions only. "Maybe it's my soap?"

"You smell like that naturally?!" Lance shot forward to look at Shiro to gape at him incredulously. "What the hell." Lance groaned. "You're so hot. It’s unfair," he whined, falling back against the pillows again.

Shiro turned red. "What? I just use shower gel," he replied. He didn't have anywhere to hide his face like he wanted to, short of Keith's hair. He nuzzled slightly into it, but knew it wasn't hiding much. "You two don't smell bad. I like how you..." Wow this was getting weird. He was going to stop there.

Keith chirped. "You both smell good. Like home."

"I like the sound of that," Lance said, smiling at Keith.

Shiro smiled into Keith's hair. "Can't wait until I can take you both home," he murmured, mostly to himself although he was sure the others heard.

Lance's heart sped up a bit. Sure, they stayed at Shiro’s place a lot because Lance went wherever Keith was. Lance still had his own room and so did Keith, but they really only used them if Keith was on a mission or Shiro wasn’t home for whatever reason. But Lance liked the sound of Shiro’s room being his home too. But did Shiro actually mean it like he wanted Lance to move in kind of like Keith did? Or did he just mean he couldn't wait until they were all out of the med bay? Lance wasn't sure. It seemed like it should feel too fast. They'd just started dating and now Lance was moving in? It didn’t feel fast though...or bad. Lance...really wanted that. But what if that wasn't what Shiro meant. Should he ask? Lance groaned internally and squeezed his eyes shut. Why was this so difficult?

Shiro looked up, only to see Lance's eyes squeezed shut. He frowned. Did Lance not want to stay over? He'd understand if that were the case. He liked having his own room too, if he needed it. But Lance stayed over with Keith sometimes, so he'd hoped... "Only if you want," he said quietly. "I don't mind moving slower, or you having your own space still."

Lance's eyes shot open and he looked over at Shiro, seeing him frown. Oops, forgot I had an audience. "No! I mean yes. I would like that. I just wasn't sure if you meant-if you wanted-um...what I'm trying to say is, home sounds nice." He blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "Er, our home, that is."

A small smile crossed Shiro's face as he listened to Lance stumble over himself. "I like the sound of it, too," he replied, reaching his hand over to touch any part of Lance he could reach. Apparently that was his hair, and just barely. "But I think we should still keep our rooms, at least on the ship. For appearances and space if we need it. Back on Earth we can get a house..."

Lance leaned into Shiro’s hand and hummed. He acknowledged that Shiro was probably right and a house sounded nice.

Keith smiled. Home. That sounded nice. He chirped quietly. "Don't forget Kosmo. Need a big yard." At the sound of his name, Kosmo lifted his head. Keith smiled at his canine companion. "Yes you buddy. Good puppy."

Kosmo tilted his head, unfamiliar with Keith's tone.

"Yes, Kosmo is a very good puppy, aren't you, boy?" Lance said, wiggling his foot a little and smiling at the wolf.

Shiro looked down at Kosmo. "Very good puppy. We'll have to get a very big yard for him, and let him run around the base if he wants." Gods knew that would probably be enough space for him, it was where he and Keith practiced racing hovers.

Keith smiled. "You deserve it," he said towards Kosmo. "You two deserve it too. Big house. Yard. A home."

Shiro hummed, content. "You do, too. You deserve so much." He hoped he could give it to him, or Lance could. He couldn't wait to go home, where they wouldn't have to worry about dying constantly. But they were in a war, and they couldn't do that right now. Focus.

Lance hummed in agreement. "As long as I'm with you two I think I'll be okay wherever we end up," he muttered absently, letting his mind wander as he pictured the future. Flashes of different scenarios played in his head, but they were all smiling in every one. Yeah. Anywhere.

Keith hummed. It was such a serene idea. Settling down. Cuddling every night. It sounded wonderful. But his track record wasn't exactly going well and now he wasn't even safe on the Atlas anymore. He probably wasn't going to make it to those blissful days. At least Shiro and Lance had each other now. And if he died their relationship would go smoother because they wouldn't have to cater to his needs, especially with all the new ones that have been added because of what happened. 

In his mind, he didn't deserve shit let alone what Shiro and Lance were describing. "Need to rewrite letters," he mumbled, not realizing he said it out loud.

Lance's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Letters? Suddenly a memory surfaced and his expression dropped in realization. He turned to Keith, eyes sad and his lips pressed together as he swallowed. "No, sweetheart. You're going to be fine. We are all going to grow old together. We'll die peacefully in our sleep when we're like 100." He blinked back a few tears that had formed, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "You don't need any letters."

Shiro was confused. "Letters?" he asked quietly before Lance started speaking. As he kept talking Shiro's face grew horrified. "Keith, why do you have letters? You don't..." Had he gotten the idea before or after Shiro's had been given to him?

Keith reached out and gently ran his index finger across Lance's cheek. "We're in war," Keith whispered, "and I'm not a good...talker. My dad's brought me closure and I want to give you two that in case something happens on a mission..."

Shiro swallowed down the bile that suddenly appeared in his throat.

Lance tried to argue, but the sound got stuck in the back of his throat and only came out as a quiet noise. He swallowed and tried again as a tear slipped down his cheek. "But that's why you have us," Lance said softly. "We watch your back, right? So nothing’s going to happen to you. You don’t need letters." Another tear fell and he angrily brushed it away. Could he have one day where he didnt cry? "Right, Shiro? He doesn’t need to write letters. He doesn’t need to think about saying goodbye to us. Not like that."

Shiro shook his time. "Right. Because we're going to be right with you, and we're going to go home. We have a vacation to go on," he chuckled, but it sounded wet. Like he was going to start crying too. He needed to stop, be strong for them, but the thought was just...

Keith wiped Lance's tear with his finger. "Don't cry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything." Keith swallowed. "Every mission I go on, I do everything I can to come back. To your arms. Your warmth. Your love."

Lance sniffled and moved to keep Keith's hand on his cheek. He blinked a couple more tears from his eyes. "I know," he said, voice wobbling slightly. "I know you do. Shiro and I do the same thing for you, you know. And for each other." A hundred unwanted scenarios played like a sick movie trailer in his head, showing him his worst fears. Getting that knock on his door, watching them fall in front of him, watching the light leave their eyes while he held both of them in turn. He looked over at Shiro, meeting his eyes, then back to Keith, before shutting his own tightly. "Please," he begged wetly, "both of you. Always come home to me. I..." A choked off sob left him. Damn it. I didn’t want to do this. "Just please."

Shiro could feel his defenses weakening, a couple of tears spilling from his eyes as Lance sobbed. He nodded, even though he knew Lance wouldn't see it. "We will. You know we will." He wished he could hold Lance too, but he knew he couldn't without it hurting his shoulder. "I don't intend to leave either of you again." He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with his left hand.

Keith smiled sadly at Lance, thumbs caressing. "You're pretty even when you cry," he whispered before frowning, a small pout appearing. "Wanna hug you."

"Good, cause I do it a lot," Lance said wetly, as he turned completely in his seat. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Keith's neck, latching onto Shiro’s arm and burying his face in the juncture between his neck and shoulder. He was careful to put his left arm on top of his right so he wouldn’t hit Keith with his cast.

Shiro carefully worked his way around the cast and leaned in as well, putting his right arm around Lance's back so they were all hugging one another. He rested his head lightly on Keith's. "Gonna have to make us drink more water," he said, voice hoarse, before he cleared his throat. "Once we separate."

Keith began purring, the tone deep and meant to be comforting. He held Lance close. "You two are my heartbeat. Give me light on my darkest days. Warmth on my coldest nights. My princes."

Lance kissed Keith's neck, not wanting to move yet and began murmuring wetly into his skin. "Me too.  _ Mi princesa, mi corazon, mi vida, te amo, te amo mucho, mi hermoso mundo. Te amo _ .

_ (My princess, my heart, my life, I love you, I love you so much, my beautiful world. I love you.) _

Shiro stayed silent, not knowing what Lance had said but being able to guess some of it. Princesa was pretty distinctive. He figured this was a moment they had to have with each other - he just wanted to be there for them and keep them safe while they did.

Keith smiled fondly, tears making his vision wet. " _ Te perdiste, francotirador. _ "  _ (You missed sharpshooter) _

Lance laughed quietly into Keith’s neck and pulled back slightly to press his lips to Keith's. "Right on target," he whispered softly against them.

Shiro gave them space to move, but was loath to let either of them go.

Keith hummed into the kiss, a smile appearing as he kissed back. He pulled back, a smile on his lips. He leaned forward, nuzzling his nose against Lance's. "Pretty."

He leaned back to look up at Shiro. " _ Kisu _ ."

Lance smiled at the eskimo kiss and leaned back further, giving Shiro space, pulling his left arm into his lap.

Shiro chuckled. " _ Keith ga sorehodo umaku tazuneta toki, dō yatte watashi wa nō to iu koto ga dekiru ka _ ?" He leaned down and carefully pressed his lips against Keith's, letting him control it.  _ (When you ask so nicely, how could I say no?) _

Keith pressed back against Shiro's lips, a soft hum coming from him as he did. He leaned back and gave him another kiss against the cheek. " _ Kiyomi _ ," he whispered before returning to his original spot with a chirp. " _ Novios hermoso _ ." He yawned. "I got lucky. Don’t deserve you two," he mumbled.  _ (cute, beautiful/handsome boyfriends) _

Shiro leaned into the kiss, his own hum on his lips before Keith pulled away and kissed him on the cheek. "We don't deserve you,  _ jagiya _ ."

"I think we do. We all do. Deserve each other, that is. We're lucky, don't get me wrong, but we all deserve good things. And I know for me you two are the two best things so," Lance said thoughtfully, leaning over farther to rest against Shiro next to Keith, letting his right arm trail over Keith's shoulder and down his arm as he moved a bit away. He let his fingers continue until he reached Keith's hand, intertwining their fingers. " _ Mi princesa y mi Caballero _ ."  _ (My princess and my knight) _

Keith smiled, chirping. He looked at Lance, affection and love obviously in his eyes. " _ Wangjanim. Te amo. Siempre _ ." _ (Prince. I love you. Forever) _

Shiro smiled as Lance maneuvered his way over. Eventually he'd have to remind them that he didn't have any hope of understanding the Spanish they were speaking.

" _ Siempre _ ," Lance agreed, gazing back at Keith lovingly. He laid his head on Shiro's shoulder. After a minute he spoke. "Ugh, it really isn't fair that you just smell like this."

Shiro chuckled. "Want my body wash? Then you can smell like it all the time too," he teased.

"No," Keith whined. "Like both of your scents. You're both home. Safety," he mumbled.

"I think Keith might hurt me if I did." Lance chuckled. "Some of your shirts might go missing though." Lance nuzzled into Shiro's shoulder more. He was going to take full advantage of his new boyfriend privileges. Keith's clothes were generally too small for him so he was excited to steal Shiros.

Shiro snorted. "Just give them back eventually. I can't go walking around the ship naked." He pressed a kiss to Lance's hair. "Would you like to start with this one?" He nodded down at the tshirt he was wearing.

"Debatable." Lance smirked and felt his heart flutter at the kiss. "And nah that's okay, you need that one and I've got one here, just haven't gotten around to putting it back on yet." He glanced down at the shirt still somehow in his lap. He wasn't cold or anything so he really didn't mind.

Shiro's neck felt hot at 'debatable'. "Well, when you feel like putting it on, I'll help you," he offered as he pulled Keith a little closer so he could snuggle in. “But I do need to get going soon…”

Keith shook his head, frowning when Shiro mentioned leaving again. He tilted his head back slightly. "Are you leaving too?" he asked softly.

Lance shook his head and rested his cheek against Keith's hair. "No, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."

#####  Keith let out a soft sigh of relief at Lance's answer, his body relaxing minutely. Only for it to tense once more from Shiro's words. He desperately wanted Shiro to stay. What if someone came into this room to finish off what Laogai started? He couldn't protect Lance, couldn't stop an attack. What if they targeted Shiro outside of the room? If he was in the room at least Keith knew he was safe. But Shiro had a job. A duty. Like he said earlier, life continues. And Shiro and Lance couldn't be with him all the time.

"You sure you can't stay?" he asked quietly.

Shiro chewed on his lip, considering. He wished he could, desperately. He knew he couldn't. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised. "Sorey posted guards outside, so you'll both be safe. And Kosmo can always come get me." He would have to talk to Sorey about getting that note, as much as he wished they wouldn't need it.

"What about you though..." he whispered.

Lance blinked. Keith was worried about  _ them _ ? He swallowed, this whole situation was beyond unfair. He finally looked at Shiro. He didn't know what to say.

Shiro looked confused. "Sweetheart. I'll be fine. There's security on the bridge and my arm is a weapon." Maybe Keith had forgotten. It was sweet of him to be worried, but unnecessary.

Keith swallowed. "Doesn't stop a gunshot or poison," he said softly. "We don't know who is friendly or an enemy. And they probably want to hurt you too for being with me or use you two to hurt me."

Shiro frowned. "I know you're worried, but I'll be okay," he reiterated. The kitchen wouldn't poison him. Firearms were limited on board.

"Shiro's right, sweetheart. He'll be fine." He brushed his fingers through the loose parts of Keith's hair.

Keith glanced up at Lance when the Cuban ran fingers through his hair, tears in his eyes. They could get him too. "We thought I was safe here too," Keith whispered.

Shiro felt lost. He needed to go back, but Keith would be distraught if he did. "I can wear extra protection," he offered. A vest wouldn't do much for a plasma rifle, but most of the ammo on board was still metal. His hands twisted in his lap. He didn't know what to do.

Lance swallowed thickly and nodded. "We...sweetheart, we just put our trust in the wrong person. We just have to be more careful from now on. But, you know, we have so many people on board who support us. I bet you once this whole thing with the nurse goes public, if it hasn't already, we'll have everyone on this ship weeding out anyone who agrees with her, if there even are any. We're not alone, okay?"

Keith licked his lips, sniffling slightly as he held back tears. He swallowed a few times before nodding. "I know. You're right," he said softly. "Sorry. I was just being stupid." He wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Lance felt his own eyes fill with tears at hearing Keith's sniffling. "You're not being stupid,  _ cariño _ . It's scary, I get it." Scary was an understatement. "You're allowed to feel that way. But we're not going to let anything else happen to you, or to each other." He looked up at Shiro. "We'll keep each other safe. Along with the rest of our family."

Shiro nodded. "We'll all keep each other safe. That's what we do. Have each other's backs." He smiled, an attempt to convince Keith, before leaning over to hug both of them. "And we'll feel better as time goes on and we get closure."

Keith nodded, leaning forward into Shiro. A few more sniffles came from him. Rationally, he understood all of this but his anxiety didn't want to listen to rational thoughts. They had the other paladins and Shiro's crew. Mila and Sorey. Pietro. There were obvious people that supported them but he also knew there were others that were against him and his heritage. It was one reason why he told Krolia and the other Blade members to stay away from the Atlas and he would play ambassador between the two. The sly comments and dark looks. It was easy to ignore and he hoped that Lance and Shiro didn't know about them. He never said anything, the other two didn't need the trouble. Although a small part of him wonders if he  _ did _ say something would this have happened? "Just don't...get lost. Went through a lot of trouble to get you back."

Shiro chuckled and squeezed him a little tighter. "I know,  _ jagiya _ . Thank you," he murmured. He would never be able to thank either of them enough for saving him from the astral plane. A debt he could never repay, not that they would accept it anyways. "I'm sure I'll have a security detail too, if it makes you feel better." It'd be remiss of them not to assign all of them one.

Lance leaned hesitatingly into Shiro as well, eventually resting his forehead in the crook between his shoulder and neck.

Keith nodded into Shiro's chest. "And you'll come back as soon as you can? And maybe take Kosmo?"

Shiro hummed. "I'll be back as soon as possible. I'd prefer Kosmo stay with you, though." He didn't think Iverson would appreciate a wolf near the weapons array or sitting in on meetings. He lifted his hand up to place on the back of Lance's head, cradling him.

Keith closed his eyes. "Okay. If you think that's best," Keith muttered.

"If Kosmo stays with us, we can get Shiro quickly when we need him," Lance reasoned, relaxing a bit in Shiro's hold.

Shiro nodded. "Exactly why I want him here," he agreed. If something went down he wanted a quick way for them to either get out or get him there. 

Keith nodded. "I'll be okay...and it’s not like both of you are going to be able to stay in the med bay until I'm released and you two have to go back to Voltron and stuff before I even get put on light duty, if that even happens. Can't hang off of you two like some baby."

Shiro pulled back to look Keith in the eye. "Hey. You just had a highly traumatizing event happen. You're completely justified if you want things to help you feel secure right now."

Lance sat up again as Shiro moved back to look at Keith. "He's right, sweetheart. Whatever you need."

Keith kept his eyes down. "It’s just realistic. I'll be fine," he said softly. He had to be. He was a Paladin of Voltron. A member of the Blades. He had to get over this. “I'm a Paladin of Voltron. A Blade member...I was at least. I have to get over this," Keith added, head still bowed, "and stop whining and being anxious whenever one of you leaves my sights."

Shiro frowned. "No. Right now you're Keith, our boyfriend who needs to recover before he even starts thinking about expectations. I'll bring Krolia in here to back us up if need be."

Lance nodded, pressing a kiss to Keith's hair. "It just happened, Keith. It takes time."

Keith's closed his eyes, taking in a shaky breath. He hated this medicine. It made his emotions and thoughts go crazy. "We're in the middle of a war, we don't have the luxury of time. What are we going to do with two lions down? What if the Galrans attack? I had other missions lined up for the Blades and we're already low on members. And I'm stuck here, damaged, and l...I can't even let my boyfriend leave my damn room without a near anxiety attack because I'm petrified that something is going to happen to you!" Keith was panting as he finished, hands curled into fists.

Shiro looked a little worried at the outburst. "...It isn't your problem to worry about what happens to your mission slot," he finally said, slow and quiet. "It's mine and Kolivan's. I need you to focus on healing, not flying." He hated doing this, playing the team leader card, but he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know either. He had to figure that out, and it was terrifying from a leadership position too.

"We're only really down one lion, until I'm cleared. Allura can pilot Blue. And I'm sure the Blades are prepared for when one of theirs gets hurt. I'm sure they have plans in place. But Shiro's right, you need to focus on healing and not worrying about missions and things," Lance stated. "And...and I know it's scary, letting us out of your sight. It's scary for us too. We worry every time you go on a mission, every time we fly into a fleet of Galra ships, but..." Lance swallowed, petting Keith's hair again. "But we trust in each other's abilities. And we trust in our friends to watch our backs. I know it may not seem like it, but the people on this ship who welcome the Blades far outweigh the few who hold grudges. And we will find them."

Shiro nodded. That was something he could channel his frustration into. Finding the assholes, if they existed.

Keith curled inward at Shiro's tone. He knew he was being illogical but he was good at one thing and that was being a soldier, a fighter pilot. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking of that stuff but he also should. He was a paladin now. He was the pilot of the Red Lion. Voltron was his responsibility. 

He looked up at Lance while the Cuban spoke, eyes closing as he felt the affectionate touch. He couldn't repress the small snort at the end of Lance's words. "The last time my mom was here, we got a letter telling us to get our murderous asses off of the Atlas." He swallowed. "Someone threw fireworks at Kosmo when I took him out for a walk one time...and it’s only going to get worse when we get back to Earth. People hate Galrans. It sucks but that’s the reality and we can't...persecute everyone...we just can't."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Lance asked softly. He kept the question quiet, curiosity only. He didn't want Keith to think he was angry, which he was...a little. And disappointed in himself for not knowing, and Keith for not trusting them with this.

Shiro gritted his teeth. "We can't. But we can make an example so they know it isn't acceptable." He sat up, sitting cross-legged across from where Lance and Keith were situated. "And when did all this shit happen?"

Keith shrugged. "I'm used to it. If it wasn't because I'm Galran it was because I was a foster kid or weird or quiet. Being Galran is just the newest thing and I thought it would taper off. I thought with all the good that the Blades were doing that people would see that Galrans could be good too. That we're not all war crazy and want to go around killing people but it just...never did." Keith swallowed as he peered up at Shiro, almost meekly. "The letter? A few months ago and the fireworks were a month maybe a month and a half."

Shiro shut his eyes, holding back a sigh. "You know that's a security concern, right? And needs to be reported?"

Lance just continued playing with Keith's hair. He didn't know what to say. It was true, there were obviously people who didn't like Galrans, and were wary of the Blades and Keith to some extent. He never really thought anyone would do anything about it though. Perhaps it was the optimist in him, that he thought they would see the good they all do and change their minds. Clearly, that wasn't the case. He wished he could have helped though. Wished Keith had said something so they could have reported it like Shiro said. He wished Keith had let him share the burden, instead of carrying it alone.

Keith shrugged. "Didn't think it was a big deal," Keith whispered. "More important things were going on. Honestly thought it was a bunch of bratty cadets that would move on quickly. Thought maybe it was a hazing thing or something for new recruits. A game of ‘make the Red Paladin turn purple’ or something. Didn't seem to be something to trouble anyone about..."

Shiro actually did sigh that time. He didn't try to, it just...came out. "That's not for you to decide. That's for myself and the security team to determine." He wasn't mad at Keith. Just...frustrated and pissed at all the factions on the ship that apparently had it out for his boyfriend.

Keith flinched slightly at Shiro's sigh. "It’s just...the few times I did see you...I didn't want to ruin it with their stupidity. I didn't want to add to your stress. I wanted...I don't know what I wanted anymore. It was just small things. Pushes. Slurs. Small threats. It...it was nothing worse than what I dealt with at the Garrison."

"And you shouldn't have had to deal with it there, either!" His voice was sharp, rang through the air authoritatively, but Shiro knew he couldn't stop it now. "I would have wanted to know then, to prevent all the shit we just had to go through now. I could have increased security months ago, been on the lookout when you were in here initially,  _ anything _ . Instead I suspected nothing and you might have permanent damage because of it!"

Lance had stayed out of the conversation so far, not really having anything to say as his thoughts whorled around in his head. He was still sorting through the mess when suddenly Shiro's voice cut through it. His fingers paused in Keith's hair and he looked at Shiro, startled. "Shiro," he warned, training his eyes on the other man. He fought the urge to hold Keith closer. Yes, his words may be correct. Maybe things could have been different if Keith had said something and Lance knew Shiro was just frustrated at the situation, frustrated that he couldn't help, but he was taking it out on Keith and...it almost sounded like he was blaming Keith for what happened with the nurse.

Keith flinched harshly at Shiro's tone, head dipping forward. "I know...I know. I-I fucked up. And I hurt you two and I'm sorry. I didn't think it would get this bad. I swear I didn't." Tears dripped from his eyes and chin. "And now I'm...this burden and I'm sorry. I'm..." Keith sniffled. " _ Mian hae _ ."

(Mian hae - I'm sorry)

Lance's eyes flashed with anger before turning to Keith and shushing him softly, resuming running his fingers through Keith's hair. "Stop that," he said softly. "This is not your fault. We can't sit here and debate what ifs. Sure, maybe things would have been different if those earlier incidents had been reported, but maybe not. It's hard-wired in us to trust medical personnel. I doubt increased security would have even helped here." He held Keith closer to him, being careful of his cast and maneuvering him just slightly farther away from Shiro. "You're not a burden, Keith. We love you." He placed a kiss to Keith's forehead, using one hand to brush away his tears before going back to holding him. "And Shiro, I know you're frustrated and angry and you wish you could have prevented this, but taking it out on Keith is not helping. A racist nurse did this," he said, turning his gaze back to his other boyfriend.

Shiro's eyes widened as he looked between Lance and Keith. Lance was right. Shiro knew he was, but he couldn't stop the frustration or the fear. Tears slipped out of the corners of his eyes. "You're right. I know you are. Keith, this isn't your fault, but I just wish..."  _ I wish you had trusted us with this. _ He swallowed hard as he tried not to choke up. "You're not a burden. You're my reason for working so hard every single day. You motivate me, make me want to be better. I'm failing at that right now, and I'm sorry I let you down." He looked down to his hands. He didn't deserve to be here with them.

Keith closed his eyes as Lance wiped away his tears opening them again as he was cradled close.  _ He's not mad at me? _ he thought, a few more tears springing up at that thought. His attention was pulled though when he heard Shiro speak. "No, Takashi, no. You didn't let me down. You're angry. It’s understandable. And you're right, if I said something we...we might have been able to prevent this. You two wouldn't have had to deal with all you had to...or have to deal with me carting around an oxygen tank." Keith sniffled. "Or me crying every two seconds and not letting you out of this room apparently. I fucked up and this is my repercussion."

Lance sighed quietly, leaning forward to brush Shiro's tears away. "You're not failing, Shiro. And again, arguing about what ifs does nothing. Maybe this, maybe that. It's in the past now. Unfortunately it happened. Yes, it sucks. A lot. It was awful, and scary, and every time I think about it, my heart hurts because  _ we almost lost you _ ," he said wetly, tears filling his own eyes. He cleared his throat. "But we didn't. And we're all scared, Keith. It's not just you. We don't want to leave you alone either. It's just going to be like that for a while. You didn't fuck up. There is no way to know if those earlier things had anything to do with this. And we don't even know if you'll have an oxygen tank. You really need to stop getting upset about things that haven't even happened yet, love. You're so certain that the outcome will be the worst case scenario, but we've already beaten that and I'm sure we'll beat whatever comes next. You're strong and I believe in us." He pressed a kiss to Keith's hair and let himself linger there.

More tears sprung up to take the place of the ones Lance had just wiped away. Shiro wasn't sure if he was going to be accepted, but he crawled forward until he was on Keith's other side, tentatively reaching out for him. "I believe in you. I know you'll find a way to get through everything stronger than you were before." He always had, and Shiro believed Keith always would.

Keith sniffled, tears still falling from his eyes. He leaned into Lance as he spoke, whimpering when he felt Lance kiss the top of his head. Feeling the bed move, Keith looked up at Shiro through teary eyes. "And what if I don't, Takashi? You heard Sorey. My heart and lungs are damaged. A fucking cold could land me in the hospital. A common disease could kill me." Keith rebutted, tears falling freely. “And why? Because I'm half Galran? All because a nurse decided I was better off dead." Keith chuckled weakly. "What the fuck do I have to do to be accepted once in my life? I-I became a fighter pilot and worked my ass off to be good a-and all I got was bullying and expectations I could never meet. And now, I'm a Paladin and a Blade member and...and even now all people see is that I'm part alien. What do I have to do? Cure cancer?!?" Keith covered his face with one of his hands. "I get tortured on a mission to protect these people a-a-and I come back to get poisoned. And the part that hurts the most isn't even that! It's that now because of said alien heritage you two have to deal with this mess too!"

Lance closed his eyes and pulled his head back from Keith's hair as he sighed again. "Stop," Lance said, using the fingers of his left hand to gently turn Keith's face to look at him. Once he was sure he had his boyfriend’s attention, he spoke. "Could. If. Maybe. Possibly.  _ Stop. Worrying. _ About hypotheticals. You don't know the future. Stop beating yourself up over things that haven't happened yet. Or will happen at all. You don't  _ know _ . For sure." He paused to brush a bit of hair from Keith's face.

"And Keith. You have been accepted. By me. By Shiro. By Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Coran, Sorey, Mila, Pietro, the Blades, and countless other people. We are the ones who count, okay? Unfortunately, you aren't going to be liked by everyone. I had to learn that lesson myself. And yes, it's not fair. You shouldn't have to deal with this at all. Regardless of whether or not you had done anything for these people. The world just has assholes and it's not fair that we have to deal with them." Lance looked sadly into Keith's eyes before resting his forehead against his. "Keith. I  _ want _ to deal with this mess. Because for some shitty reason, it's been given to you and I want to be right here. Right beside you. Helping you. I love you so much, Keith. It's not an inconvenience or a burden to take care of you, to help you through hard times. I'm here because I want to be. I can handle whatever shit comes our way. And I will because  _ I want to. _ Because  _ being with you _ is worth it. And I'll tell you that as many times as you need until you believe it."

Shiro's eyes widened as he listened to Keith spill his frustration, his fears. He didn't know what to say. Thankfully, whenever he didn't have words Lance seemed to know the perfect thing to say. Gods, he didn't even feel like an adult right now. He curled up alongside Keith, not latching on because he wasn't sure if he was welcome, but wanting to be close. "We don't mind helping you. We want to be here. I just...got frustrated, and took it out on you instead of them. I'm sorry."

Keith looked up at Lance, eyes wide and a few tears still slipping through as he listened to Lance speak. He knew Lance was right. He was accepted by the other Paladins and numerous people on the ship and that acceptance was paramount to him. The Paladins were his family and he treasured them as such. But in his mind, that acceptance just opened them up to more danger. 

His thoughts were derailed when he felt Lance's forehead against his own. He blinked up and looked into the beautiful blue eyes that he cherished. More tears fell from his eyes as Lance spoke. He didn't deserve him. He chuckled mirthlessly. "You might need to say it a lot," he whispered before he leaned forward to press his lips against Lance's, tears still slipping from his eyes.

He leaned back when he heard Shiro's voice, turning to look at the older man. He sniffled as he listened to Shiro's words, reaching up with a hand to wipe away his tears. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm sorry for not saying anything," he added. He paused momentarily to reach out to grasp Shiro's wrist. "I should've said  _ something _ but," Keith let out a deep breath, "you've been in my life since I was thirteen and-and I know I'm not alone anymore. That I have you and Lance and the others but," he worried his bottom lip with his teeth, "b-but...I hate this fucking drug." Keith shook his head.

A small smile graced Lance's lips as Keith kissed him. He stayed quiet as Keith spoke to Shiro. He honestly wasn't sure how he was staying so calm through all of this. But it was kind of nice being the soothing voice of reason for once. 

Lance huffed a laugh. "I'm not surprised. You generally hate sharing and now your filter’s gone. I'm glad you told us though."

Shiro chuckled a little mirthlessly as he twisted his hand around to take Keith's. He nodded. "I'm glad too. I know it's hard to undo years of thinking you're alone. We're going to be here as long as it takes."

Keith squeezed Shiro's hand, licking his lips as Lance spoke. "I can't keep my thoughts straight and-and I'm just rambling." He sniffled when he heard Shiro start speaking. He gave the older man a watery smile. "I just want to be safe for once. Not have to worry about looking over my shoulder in my home," he whispered, head dipping forward, "and I don't want to worry about my family or-or my boyfriends getting injured at home while I'm away."

"I know, sweetheart," Lance said quietly, gently undoing Keith's braid so he could brush the strands out. He would redo it once he was done.

Shiro softened. "We'll take care of ourselves here. We want you to make sure you're focused while you're away. Want the best chance of you coming home at the end of the mission." He shuffled in closer, wrapping himself around the part of Keith that Lance wasn't covering fully. "And we're going to work on being safe on board. I promise."

Keith looked over his shoulder slightly to give Lance a thankful smile when he felt the Cuban undo his braid, his body relaxing minutely at the comforting touch. His attention was brought back to Shiro as the older man began speaking. He sniffled. He reached out and gently caressed Shiro's cheek with the back of his free hand. "I will always worry about you two and the others. They are my siblings and you two," Keith shook his head, "I can't-you two have already done so much for me a-and I can't even think of a way to...these past 6 months have been something I only dreamed of as a kid...love and happiness." Keith rambled again. "You two are sometimes the only reason why I wake up or continue going. All I could think about while in that cave was you two. Lance's smile. Your warmth." Keith took in a shaky breath. "I thought I was going to die there and all I could think about was that I wouldn't be able to hear anymore of Lance's horrible pickup lines or-or feel your arms again while I slept. Wouldn't hear your laugh or feel Lance's lips." He was practically sobbing by the time he was done.

His own sadness settled over his face as Lance continued to methodically work through Keith's hair. He hoped the motions were soothing. He wanted to promise Keith that he would never have to go through something like that again. He wanted to promise him that he and Shiro would always be with him. But he couldn't. There was no guarantee. They could try, and that was the best any of them could offer. He pressed a kiss to the top of Keith's head. "We’re right here," he soothed softly. "You made it. We all did."

Shiro choked up a little and nodded, holding them tighter. "We're all right here," he agreed softly.

Keith sniffled loudly, bringing Shiro's and his hand to rest on his chest before curling into Lance's chest. Tears trickled down his cheeks. "Every time I close my eyes I'm back there," he whispered. "Water being dumped over my head. That...fucking whip." Keith closed his eyes. "And through all that pain all I could think was that I wouldn't hear another one of your jokes and Shiro's stupid dad puns." He licked his lips.

Lance closed his eyes, tears welling up and spilling out. He took in a quiet shaky breath. "I wish we could have gotten there sooner. I wish we could have saved you from all that. I'm so sorry, Keith."

Shiro started crying as well, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. " _ Gomenasai _ ," he whispered as he curled in tighter, squeezing Keith's hand.

Keith shook his head. "You couldn't have gotten there any quicker," he said through tears. "I'm-I'm thankful you got there when you did. I..." Keith trailed off. He knew he was on the cusp of dying when Shiro found him and he didn't want to tell them but he was ready to. He had come to terms that he was probably dying and he bid his pointless goodbyes before they arrived. Cried his tears and hoped that if there was a deity somewhere that it would have mercy on his scarred soul. Keith sniffled and buried his face into Lance's chest. "I'm sorry," he said. Sorry that he was such a mess right now. Sorry for everything the two had to go through. And sorry that he was ready to give up. Sorry that he was ready to die to stop the pain.

Shiro shook his head a little. "Not your fault. Not our faults," he echoed, wishing he could just stop this already. That they could be whole and happy.

Lance stopped playing with Keith's hair to hold him. It had been so close. But Keith was really here. He was still alive. They were both a little beat up, but they'd make it and move on. They'd get through the war and settle down somewhere quiet. "I love you," he said quietly through his tears. He wished there were stronger words. " _ Te amo _ ."

Keith sniffled and tried to reign in his tears but failed to do so. "I love you too. Both of you." He pulled Shiro's hand closer, pressed a quick kiss to the back of Shiro's hand before settling it once more on his chest. He curled closer into Lance wanting nothing more than to be in the middle of his mates. A dam broke and he had no idea how to stop the flood of emotions that were hitting him. He didn't like it  _ at all _ . He felt overwhelmed and horrible that he was just shoving this all at Shiro and Lance especially since Shiro should be leaving soon. He wanted this drug out of his system. He wanted to stop crying and emoting. He wanted to go back to being the stoic asshole everyone knew.

Shiro rearranged himself again, scooting up so he could completely wrap himself around the two of them as tightly as he could without hurting Keith. "I love you so much," he murmured. "So much."

Keith sniffled, coughing a few times before settling once more. "Didn't you say you had to go back," Keith whispered, his hand tightening on Shiro's hand. He didn't want the older man to leave but he also knew he had a duty to fulfill.

Shiro sniffled a little. "Yeah," he said softly, regretfully. He didn't want to go.

Lance reached out and brushed away the remaining tears on his boyfriends faces. "Then go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back, right? Maybe only a half shift today?" Lance didn't want Shiro to leave either. He wished they all had more time to just be. They sure needed it.

Shiro nodded. "I'll try," he said quietly. He didn't know what was waiting for him. He leaned forward to press a kiss to Lance's lips, then down to give one to Keith too.

Keith pushed back into the kiss slightly before peering up at Shiro, tears making his eyes shimmer. "Do you have to go?" he whispered. "Can you stay...just until Mila brings me my food o-or until tomorrow?" he asked quietly.

Lance looked up at Shiro too, the question in his eyes as well. He understood that Shiro needed to get back, but Keith needed him here. Lance needed him here. He stayed silent though. He would respect whatever decision Shiro came too.

Shiro looked back at Keith, heart squeezing as he weighed his options. He could go now, maybe explain how he needed to stay on light duty longer, and garner some favor with the brass. Or he could stay, delay reporting under the guise of how serious the situation was.

"...I need a status update," he finally said with difficulty. "I need to know what's happening. I'm Voltron's leader." As much as he hated it right now. "I'll come back as quickly as I can."

Keith nodded. "I understand. Just...come back soon?" Keith said.

Lance nodded and resumed brushing through Keith's hair with his fingers. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Shiro nodded. He still couldn't find the strength to move away, though.

A knock on the door made Keith look up. Mila walked in with a soft smile and a tray. "Up for some food?"

Keith gave the nurse a smile that looked more like a grimace. He wasn't exactly hungry nor wanted to eat. "Maybe?" he answered softly.

Lance found himself concentrating hard on detangling Keith's hair. It was somewhat calming for him as well. The methodical movement. When Mila walked in, Lance turned to her and offered a small smile before looking at Keith as he answered. He couldn't say he could blame him for not wanting to eat. He finished combing through Keith's hair and braided it, tying the end with the hair tie on his wrist. He kissed Keith on the cheek, and made sure he would be okay sitting up on his own before slowly moving to stand. "Gotta run to the bathroom real fast. I'll be back before Shiro goes," he explained before turning to head to the bathroom.

Shiro nodded, backing up so Keith and Lance could scoot away or sit up into comfortable positions.

Keith gave Lance a small smile when he felt the Cuban braid his hair, quirking upward more when he felt Lance's kiss. He gave an answering kiss to Lance's cheek before leaning forward slightly so Lance could get up easier.

Mila gave her "little brother" a small smile, eyebrow rising when she saw a small mark on Lance’s collarbone that she must have missed earlier. Her gaze turned slightly dark.  _ Lance McClain you better not have done what I think you did, _ she thought as she watched Lance head towards the bathroom.

Lance headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. God, he had to pee. He hadn't realized just how long it had been, but it was definitely too long. After taking care of his business, Lance washed his hands before finally looking up in the mirror. He took in the scratches on his face first. They still looked pretty much the same. The bruise on his face seemed to be healing, the edges were starting to turn greenish. He shifted his gaze to the gauze covering his shoulder and briefly wondered how long he would have to wear it for before his eyes caught on something near his collarbone.

Lance's eyes widened and his face flushed. He raised his hand and curiously pressed his thumb into it, feeling a dull pain radiate out from the pressure. He smiled, then blinked and shook his head. He turned and left the bathroom, looking up as he stepped back into the room and froze under Mila's glare, eyes wide in surprise and confusion...and a little bit of fear.

Shiro reached for the tray, setting it next to Keith on the bed so he could try to eat. "Thanks, Mila," he smiled.

When Lance came out he was confused at Lance's hesitation. He'd just been fine before. "Lance?" he asked, curious.

Mila gave Shiro a thankful smile before handing over the tray to him. On it was a cup of beige liquid and a bowl that was full of white rice and a few pieces of chicken breast along with a spoon. Hearing the door open, Mila returned her glare to the Cuban. "Lance McClain, hallway, now mister." She bit out. 

Keith blinked at Mila, confused by her anger, head tilting slightly. What did Lance do this time?

Shiro looked confused. Why was Mila suddenly mad?

Lance's eyes shot to Shiro's briefly before returning to Mila's. His heart was suddenly pounding in his chest. What did he do? But he knew better than to keep an angry woman waiting. He'd had plenty of experience with his mom. Hopefully Mila wouldn't hit him with her shoe. "Yes ma'am," he said quickly, booking it to the hallway and waiting patiently once he was there, hands at his sides.

Shiro looked to Keith. "Got any idea what's up?"

Keith shrugged and shook his head as Mila headed out of the door. She closed it before narrowing her eyes on Lance. "You did not do what I think you did with your bedridden boyfriend! He is healing Lance McClain and his heart couldn't handle that--"

Lance's eyes widened as Mila started in on him, immediately realizing the problem. She'd seen the hickey. "What? No! No, no. No!" he denied quickly, interrupting her mid-lecture, hands raised in front of him defensively.  _ Come up with an excuse, McClain. _ "It wasn't Keith!"  _ What. _

"His heart could giv---It wasn't Keith?" Mila blinked for a few moments before a sly smirk came across her face. "So you and the Commander finally said something? Lucky you, two gorgeous men all for you," she said winking.

_ Shit. _ Lance paled momentarily before flushing bright red, the color extending down his neck and over his ears, caught between embarrassed and terrified. But it was Mila, and he trusted Mila. 

He nodded. "But um...don't, don't say anything? It's okay that you know, but, Shiro's not- I mean, we can't-um, we're not really supposed to-" Lance sighed and looked down at his fingers as he worried them over each other.

Mila mimed zipping her lips shut. "Just use proper stretching so you don't get hurt," she said lightly tapping her index finger against Lance's forehead. "Can I trust you to get Keith to eat? I have a couple other patients I need to check up on," she asked with a small smile.

Lance didn't think it was possible, but he blushed even brighter. Jeez, it was really hot in this hallway. He nodded again.

Mila laughed. "You deserve some good after all the bad that has happened...just don't recreate any of that good with Keith until he's clear, mister," she said with a weak glare. "I'll be back in an hour to pick up Keith's dishes and to do a vitals check, behave while I'm gone," she said before walking away, heading into another room a few doors down.

"Mila," Lance whined. He was so embarrassed right now. It reminded him of how Veronica would tease him all the time. He smiled a little. "Bye," he called before taking a deep breath and stepping back into the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it, letting his head hit the metal softly. He groaned and put his face in his hands. He was sure he was still beat red with no idea when it would go away.

Keith raised an eyebrow as Lance re-entered the room. "So you lived," he said, smiling.

Lance groaned again. "Did I?"

Shiro looked up from where he was looking over Keith's tray. "What did Mila want? She seemed upset."

"Considering I'm not dying again, yes, you lived." Keith responded, his smile turning into a smirk.

Lance shot a disapproving glare at Keith, then looked at Shiro. Or more accurately at the air around Shiro. He flushed red again. "She uh...thought that I-" He stopped to clear his throat. "Um...ugh, fine I'll just say it. She was mad because she thought Keith and I were getting it on because of," he made a noise and gestured to the hickey on his collarbone, "and that's not safe for him right now and I accidentally said it was from you. So, yeah." Lance ran a hand over his face again before looking Shiro in the eye this time. "She knows now. I told her not to say anything because I know it's...frowned upon for a cadet to be dating a CO. She's cool with it, but...now that she knows, Pietro will know, and probably Sorey and Mikleo too, which means Pidge and Hunk will probably know before we even get a chance to say anything. Sorry."

Keith chuckled softly. "I mean, sex would be an interesting way to go."

Shiro's ears turned red. "I guess I figured we couldn't hide it forever. I don't want you to be lying to your family, either. As long as it doesn't make it around the ship..." He looked awkward. "It should be fine. I suspect Dr. Lee knew about Keith and I anyways."

Lance just shot another look at Keith before turning back to Shiro. "I'm sure it will be. They all know that it's not..." Lance swallowed, looking down at the floor. He knew it was going to be hard. Their relationship basically had to be a complete secret. He couldn't believe the hiding was starting already. "They won't say anything," he ended quietly.

Keith let out a sigh. "I don't want to be a downer but...how long do we think we can keep flying under the radar? We live in close quarters. Shiro, you're a high ranking officer and we're all Paladins. People watch us. It’s only a matter of time before everyone knows. Rumors are already flying that I'm cheating on Lance with you Shiro, although, it would probably be the same even if we weren't imprinted on each other but it still stands. Someone will find out eventually..."

Shiro looked down at his hands, thoughtful. Keith had a point. As much as Lance trusted his chosen family to keep their secret, there would always be rumors and people watching them. If Laogai even got to talk to one person on the outside, the cat would be out of the bag. It was a very perilous game for their reputations. "All the more reason to maintain separate rooms," he murmured. "And maybe use them occasionally. I'll have to talk to the brass about maybe moving us to a more secluded area, where people won't notice as much." As long as they could keep their hands to themselves, that might work for now.

"They can't know, Shiro," Lance said quietly, staring at his hands. A wave of sadness fell over him. "The only reason nothing happened with you and Keith was because of the imprinting. But us? We don't have that special tie." He swallowed hard, his emotions getting the better of him. "It's just our feelings. Which unfortunately aren't going to matter much to Iverson and his friends. They're just going to see a cadet who wants to fuck his commanding officer and that's  _ not allowed _ ." Lance's voice was cracking as tears filled his eyes. "They would probably fire you and expel me and  _ I don't want you to lose your job for me, Shiro. _ " Lance let himself slide to the floor, head resting on his knees.

Lance had thought it would be fine. They could keep it a secret. It would totally work. But there was so much that could go wrong and why,  _ why _ didn't he think more seriously about that before? Why did he let it get this far? Why did he confess? He really was an idiot.

Keith swallowed, a soft concerned chirp coming from him as he watched Lance slide to the floor. "Lance, I'm sure we'll think of something. For all we know the imprint did do something. Granted, one of you won't die if one of you walk away but...I can talk to my mom," Keith said. "I'm sure there's a way we can, I don't know, use the bond to cover your guys' asses. No one here knows anything about Galran culture and society so it wouldn't be hard to accomplish."

Shiro's heart sank. He hadn't wanted to look at it that way, but when Lance put it that way it was pretty damning. "I asked Krolia before, when this all started," he said quietly. "About if Lance and I would have a bond. She said it happened for Galrans, but with humans it probably wouldn't. This is just us...and I don't know if we should be using the bond to get out of consequences for our actions." What if it impacted someone else with the same situation down the road? It was already a clear cut case of perjury. "As far as Iverson goes...he'd be stupid to fire either of us. Nobody else can pilot the lions."

Lance let his tears fall quietly onto his jeans.

Keith frowned. "The Garrison knows shit about Galrans beyond that they like war. They never brought me, my mom, or Kolivan back to talk about Imprinting or Galran society in general, and they know nothing on Galran-Human hybrids. I mean, for fuck sakes, they forgot about me, the only known hybrid of that nature, when they thought of medical treatment. And fuck if they know anything about a bond between a Galran-Human hybrid and their human bonded. Before I imprinted on you two, no one even knew Galrans  _ could _ imprint on Humans. My mom, hell anyone in the Blades, didn’t know how this bond was going to work out, we're going on speculation of other Galran imprinting bonds." Keith sighed. "From what my mom said, Female Galrans have a hard time getting and staying pregnant let alone pregnant with a hybrid. She was the only Galran to have seen Earth before this war even started so I think we are safe in the perjury department. We can chalk this up to me being a hybrid and it changing the Imprinting Bond slightly from the typical Galran bond. For all we know, that is 100% fact and not a lie at all. In a typical Galran three way bond, they do all bond together maybe it was just delayed in this bond."

Shiro looked to Keith as he spoke. He had known Keith was irritated at the lack of Intel that the Garrison had seen fit to collect on Galrans, but this was...surprising. He hadn't expected such a reaction. "...Lance?" Shiro asked quietly, seeing his boyfriend still on the floor crying. "C'mere," he urged, ready to stand and get him if needed but he didn't want to get too far away from Keith if he could help it.

Lance didn't want to hope. He knew what it was like, thinking that everything was going to be okay and then having the floor drop out from under you. If this is how it was going to feel if it didn't work...Lance hugged his knees tighter to his chest.

Keith frowned as he took in the curled up form of his youngest mate. He wished he could walk over there and wrap him in a hug. Give him a kiss and do that deep timber purr that he liked. Anything to clear the sadness that covered him like a thick miasma.

Shiro stood, walking over to Lance and kneeling next to him before taking him gently into his arms. "I'm not saying we're breaking up," he murmured. "I'll fight until the end to stay with you. Both of you. We just need to figure out our options. Besides, what was that you were saying earlier about what-ifs and maybes?" He pet Lance's hair, threading his fingers through it. "We're not giving up, especially when we don't know what the future is going to bring."

Lance took in a shuddering breath. He wanted to believe,  _ so badly _ . And Shiro was right, it was technically a what-if. But it was a  _ big _ what-if that was more like an extremely likely possibility. One wrong step and it all blows up in their faces. It's so different from anything Keith had been worrying about. There's no way to know those possibilities for certain. But this...this was a certain. The only what-if was when it would happen.

Lance was afraid. He didn't want to lose this. He'd just gotten it. And it was amazing, everything he had thought it would be and Shiro had promised him  _ more _ . But maybe that small piece was all he'd ever get. Maybe he just needed to be with Keith and only Keith. Maybe he needed to do the hard thing...for Shiro. But his arms were so comfortable, and safe. And his words made Lance's heart feel full. Shiro wanted this. Them. And who was he to not give Shiro what he wanted. Lance wanted to give Shiro everything. Because Shiro was...oh. Well that just made everything worse.

He knew he had a tendency to fall hard and fast. Lance had always been that way. Go big or go home. He'd been in love with Keith long before they ever started dating, had even convinced himself the feelings weren't real, enough so that after the whole imprinting talk, he had let himself take that plunge again, even though he had already fallen and was waiting at the bottom for Keith. So Lance knew immediately when the feeling passed over him again. He was falling in love with Shiro. Which meant he knew he had to make a decision soon. He either needed to walk away now, before he could get any further, or...he needed to trust Shiro and hope there were no bombs beneath their feet.

He couldn't do this now. He needed more time. Just a little more time...and maybe...maybe indulge himself just a bit. Just in case he couldn't ever do it again. He threw his arms around Shiro's neck, narrowly avoiding clocking him in the head with his cast, and buried his face in the juncture of his shoulder, clutching onto him tightly. He was shaking slightly and still crying, but he was sure Shiro wouldn't mind. Absently he wondered if he would ever be able to let go.

Keith stayed silent, pulling his hands into his lap, eyes falling. There was nothing he could do right now. He would fight for them when he got out. He went through his whole life weaving tales and finding loopholes. He would find one for Shiro and Lance. They deserved to be happy and he would do everything in his power to make sure they got to be.

Shiro made a soft noise as Lance barrelled into him, arms tight around his neck and face buried in the crook of his shoulder. "Hey," he soothed, soft noises in his boyfriend's ear as he rubbed circles onto his back. "Lance, babe. It's okay. It's all going to be okay." He wasn't sure of logistics, didn't know how he was going to make the statement true, but he knew that it would be in the end. He'd give both of these men his heart, his life if he needed to. That's what loving someone was. The thought really should scare him more than it did, but after everything he thought the only thing he should be scared of anymore was losing them. And he wasn't going to, so there was no reason to be afraid. "It's all going to be okay."

Lance whimpered quietly into Shiro's neck as he bit back his words.  _ How _ did he know it would be okay?  _ How _ could he be confident that everything wouldn’t go to shit? "I  _ want _ to believe you," he cried softly and brokenly into the skin beneath his lips. His arms constricted ever so slightly and he gripped tightly onto Shiro's shirt.

Shiro bent his head down to press a kiss to Lance's hair. "Then trust us," he murmured, pressing another kiss afterwards. "Keith and I will take care of you. We'll figure this out together." He didn't want to mention that his commission didn't really mean anything to him if it kept him from being with the men he loved. If the Garrison could accept him and Adam, there was no reason they shouldn't be able to accept Lance. If rank was the problem he'd take a demotion if he needed to, but he had confidence they'd be able to reason their way to a compromise.

"I..." Lance whimpered, shaking his head. Why did Shiro keep saying these things? It was making it harder for him to even think leaving was an option. Shiro seemed so  _ sure _ that everything would be alright. That they could get through this, together. But it was Shiro's job, his life. How could Lance potentially be the cause for that being ripped from him. How could he ever live with himself if he made Shiro that unhappy.

Shiro kept making soothing sounds. He looked up to Keith, a little lost. How was this happening now? Nothing had changed. Was he doubting them that much?

Keith met Shiro's gaze. He would figure something out and he hoped Shiro could see that determination. He would do everything in his power to make sure that they could stay together without any repercussions to Shiro and Lance.

Shiro met Keith's eyes, searching them before nodding. They appeared to be on the same page. "We're not leaving you, Lance. Not ever. Trust us. We will find a way to be happy together, all of us."

Lance squeezed his eyes shut.  _ Believe him, _ his mind shouted at him.

_ It's only going to hurt worse when I've completely fallen for him. _

_ The three of us can get through anything. _

_ It won’t be the three of us when I'm forced to give him up. It won’t be the three of us when he realizes he hates me for ruining his career. _

_ I won’t. We’ll figure it out. _

_ Will we? _

"I trust you," Lance cried softly.

Shiro let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He bent his head so he was burying his face in Lance's neck in return, holding him as tightly as he dared.  _ He trusted me. He trusts us. We can do it. _

"Thank you," he whispered into Lance's ear. "I promise. We'll get through this. The three of us. We'll be okay."

Keith licked his lips, eyes looking towards Kosmo briefly.  _ The three of us...right… _ , he thought before looking back at his boyfriends, morose thoughts hidden behind his usual facade.

Lance continued to cling to Shiro like a lifeline even though his tears were slowing and he’d mostly stopped shaking. He just...didn't want to let go. There was still a part of him that thought that this could be the last time. A small part, but it was ruling his arms currently. He hoped Shiro wouldn't mind.

Shiro continued making soothing sounds, rubbing Lance's back and dropping small kisses to whatever parts of his hair and face he could reach. He seemed to be calming down. He knew Lance required reassurance every so often and didn't mind providing it, he just hoped that he'd be able to trust in them on his own soon enough. He hated thinking of him being this upset and alone.

Lance felt himself completely wind down and he rested against Shiro heavily. Now that that was over he felt a little embarrassed about his break down. It was nothing he hadn't known before, nothing he hadn't already thought about. He vaguely decided that the stress of everything that had happened the past two days was throwing his emotions into chaos. He’d been jumping from one extreme to the next and frankly, it was exhausting. Lance needed a nap. Or five. And maybe something to eat.

Shiro smiled as he felt Lance sag against him, completely relaxed. He kept rubbing circles on his back. "Feel better?" he rumbled quietly in his ear, voice low to not disturb the peace.

Lance nodded and pulled back, sniffling. "Yeah, sorry about that. I kind of freaked out on you and then almost hit you in the head with my cast. Not my finest moment." Lance huffed a self deprecating laugh.

Shiro chuckled. "I've had closer calls, believe me. You're allowed to have a freak out every now and again, we all are." Shiro had just had a massive one over nothing toward Keith, he really didn't have room to talk. "Maybe cuddles will help?"

Lance nodded again and leaned his forehead against Shiro's, closing his eyes and taking a deep calming breath. They would be fine. It would all work out. They were supposed to be together.

Shiro smiled wider as Lance rested their foreheads together. He shut his eyes for a few moments too, letting himself enjoy a moment of peace, before he was standing up and taking Lance along with him in his arms. "Up we go. Time to cuddle with your boyfriend," he teased.

Lance made a soft noise of surprise as Shiro picked him up, tightening his arms around his neck instinctively. "Okay," he agreed, leaning his head on Shiro's shoulder as he looked at Keith. He offered him a small smile. He knew he'd probably worried Keith with his crying earlier.

Keith met Lance's gaze with a small, comforting (he hoped) smile. He opened his arms, ready for Lance to come to him.

Shiro carried Lance over, making sure to set him down gently next to Keith. "You two need anything else before I head out?" He didn't want to go, but prolonging it would probably make things worse in the long run.

Lance waited for Shiro to put him down next to Keith before folding himself in his arms. He blinked as Shiro spoke. Right, he was still leaving. "Um," he started, pulling back from Keith. "Can you help me with my shirt again?"

Keith wrapped his arms around Lance, chin resting on top of Lance's head. He tightened his grasp on the Cuban when he heard Lance's question, a frown pulling his lips down. "Why do you have to put your shirt back on? You're not going anywhere...right?"

Lance tilted his head up slightly to look in Keith's direction, even though he couldn't see him from this angle. "Well...no. I'm not going anywhere," he said, kind of confused. He supposed he didn't really need his shirt. And Keith seemed to want to keep it off for some reason. Maybe he smelled more like himself without the hospital shirt?

Keith smiled, leaning down to nuzzle his nose into Lance's cheek before releasing Lance from his arms. "It's fine. We don't know how long Shiro will be gone so might as well do it now before you’re stuck shirtless for hours." Keith smirked. "Not that would be a bad thing."

Shiro chuckled. "Only bad part would be my not being here to witness it," he quipped.

Lance blushed. " _ Dios mio _ , you guys," he muttered under his breath.

Keith chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss to Lance's chest. " _ Te amo mucho mi principe _ ."

Shiro's eyes showed recognition. "I can piece that together enough to say that I agree," he added as he bent down to kiss Lance.

Lance blinked in surprise for a moment, his heart pounding, before smiling into the kiss. He couldn't be completely certain since Shiro just said he was piecing it together, but it almost sounded like Shiro was saying he loved him. He suddenly felt really warm, but in a comfortable way. Like the sun was shining on him on a nice day at the beach. He gently pushed Shiro away. "Are you guys  _ trying _ to start something when Shiro has to leave?"

Keith frowned, resting his chin on Lance's good shoulder. "That would probably be bad for my heart right now. Rain check?"

Shiro chuckled again. "Yeah, rain check." He leaned over to kiss Keith, lingering slightly. "Have Kosmo get me if you need anything," he murmured as he rested their foreheads together. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Keith smiled and nodded. "Just hurry back, okay?" he asked softly, leaning forward to peck Shiro's lips again.

"Yeah, come back soon to us," Lance said, placing a hand gently on Shiro's arm and leaning just a bit more into Keith.

Shiro hummed. "I will," he agreed. He wanted to be with these two more than anything, but he needed to know what was happening.

"Tell Allura and Veronica hi for us, and Coran, if he's up there," Lance said, smiling softly.

Shiro nodded. "I'll let them know you're both okay," he promised before standing upright. "And the rest of the ship, for good measure." He was gonna find the rest of these fuckers. He felt awkward leaving, but he still strode over to the door and opened it. "See you in a while," he said, waving as he shut the door behind him.

"Bye," Lance said quietly as Shiro closed the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Keith frowned as he watched Shiro leave, anxiety ramping up. He tried to ignore the thoughts that were plowing into him. Shiro would be fine. Everything would be okay. He would check in and be back soon...

Forcing his thoughts away, Keith wrapped his arms around Lance once more, gently pulling him back to lean against the bed, a small sigh leaving him as he relaxed against the pillows. "You okay now?" he asked softly.

Lance went willingly as Keith pulled him back against the pillows. "Yeah, or at least I will be," he said, sending a reassuring smile in Keith's direction. "You need to eat," Lance stated suddenly, sitting up. "I promised Mila." He reached over Keith for the tray and picked it up, carefully setting it in Keith's lap. " _ Bon appetit _ ," he said, lifting the lid and setting it to the side.

Keith glanced down at the tray that was placed on his lap, blinking a few times. He had honestly forgotten that Mila dropped off food for him. Hesitantly, he picked up the silver spoon that was beside the bowl and mixed up the rice and chicken. "I haven't had actual food in 5 days and the last thing I want to do is eat this." Keith sighed. "You would think I would be starving..." he muttered.

"Eat whatever you can," Lance said, brushing some runaway bangs behind Keith's ear. "I know you really didn't ever eat much in the first place, but that's going to have to change for a while. Can't regain your strength by eating one grain of rice every couple of hours like you used to," he joked. He wanted to keep the mood light after all of the roller coasters they'd both been on lately.

Keith frowned. "I ate more than that," he mumbled before scooping half a spoonful into his mouth.

Lance rolled his eyes, but smiled. At least he was eating.

"Saw that," Keith mumbled, taking in another half spoonful, pausing to chew and swallow before continuing. "You two just don't see the snacks I eat."

"Uh huh." Lance chuckled. "Cause we spend soo much time away from each other."

Keith rolled his eyes. "I blame you being cute," he said before loading up the spoon once more. As he lifted it up, he noticed his hand shaking minutely. He refused to acknowledge it, not wanting Lance to either. He could feed himself.

"Right back atcha, gorgeous." Lance winked. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance could see Keith's hand shaking a little, but chose not to say anything. This time.

Keith chuckled weakly, blush appearing on his cheeks. "You would think I would stop blushing by now," he muttered, glancing at the cup of ginger tea. He wanted a sip but also didn't want to dump it all over himself. He mixed the chicken and rice. "Sorry for...all the tears earlier," he said softly. "I shouldn't have unloaded all of that on to you and Shiro," he added before lifting another shaky spoonful into his mouth.

_ I hope you never stop, _ Lance thought, admiring the color on his boyfriend’s face. "I'm glad you did. It's better that you let it out. Let us help you with it. You don't have to do this alone," he said, echoing Keith's softness.

"I know," Keith responded quietly. "And I know I don't have to but...I'm petrified that you'll get hurt or something and it would be my fault." Keith lightly shrugged. "Guess I'm overprotective or something," he muttered as he stirred his meal languidly.

Lance snorted. "That's an understatement." He smiled fondly at Keith before turning serious. "We all are though. And if anything were to happen to me or Shiro? It wouldn't be your fault. I mean, unless you like, I don't know, pushed me or something and I tripped. Then, that would be kind of your fault."

Keith resisted face palming at Lance's crazy example. He scooped up some more rice. He smirked as he brought it up, a few grains falling from his quivering hand which made him lower it again. He cleared his throat, trying not to focus on it. "I'm not pushing you until we're married and you have life insurance." He joked.

Lance shot Keith a look, but couldn't keep the smile from his face. "I'll make sure every penny goes to Shiro," he threatened jokingly.

Keith laughed quietly. "Probably a wise idea. Give him a shove then I get the whole thing in a lump sum," he said, setting the spoon down.

Lance laughed. "I take it back. All my money goes to Hunk. And my mom."

Shiro looked around after shutting the door behind himself, coming face to face with two guards on either side of the door. "Commander," the taller of the two, a younger man with slicked back hair named Humphries, nodded in his direction.

"Jonathan," he nodded back. "How'd you manage a detail like this?"

Humphries' stoic face broke out into a slightly crooked smile. "You know. Do enough favors for the boss, you get an interesting job every now and again."

The man on the other side, a shorter, stockier man named Harrison, chuckled. "Yeah, but you know you're going to be stuck with bottom of the barrel jobs for the rest of the month." He rested his arm on the end of his pistol as he talked.

Humphries shrugged. "That's how it goes sometimes, man. Win some, lose some."

Shiro laughed in response. "Well, I feel better knowing you guys are out here." Both were great at their jobs. Likeable, but got down to business fast when it came to it. Harrison in particular had seen a lot of action over the years and was only a few years out from retirement. They wouldn't be swayed by anything. "Gonna be back in a few minutes. Keep an eye on the boys, will you?"

"Roger," Harrison responded, salute coming easy after all the years of doing it. Humphries nodded as well, both turning back to their duty.

It didn't take Shiro long to make his way back to his room. He hopped in the shower and made quick work of washing, running a towel through his hair and dressing in his black garrison uniform. After pulling on his socks he headed over to the bed, grabbed one of his pillows and the hoodie he had been wearing the most lately. Neither Keith nor Lance would have to worry about pulling it on over their heads, so it should be the ideal choice. He tucked both under his arm and shoved his boots on before making his way back to the medical wing.

"Excuse me," he asked once he got to the desk. "Is Dr. Sorey still on duty? I need to talk to him."

The nurse looked at him with an eyebrow raised before standing and disappearing through a door, presumably to get the requested man.

* * *

"And leave your boyfriends penniless...well, Shiro wouldn't be, but...leave your boyfriend penniless...heartbreaking." Keith joked weakly.

* * *

Sorey looked up as the nurse called for his attention, raising an eyebrow when she said who exactly was waiting for him. Walking over there, he sent the Commander a small smile. "Commander? Everything okay with Keith?"

* * *

Lance gave Keith a concerned look. "Hey, you know I was joking right?" They had been doing just fine, Keith was joking right along with him. Who flipped the switch?

* * *

Shiro looked up from where he had been staring at the counter, a smile on his face. "Yeah, everything seems to be fine. Lance is with him now. I uh, wanted to ask if that offer for light duty still stood," he asked a little awkwardly, rocking back onto his heels. "Keith's having some separation anxiety, and I think it might be better-"

* * *

Keith looked at Lance, blinking in confusion before tilting his head slightly. "Yeah?" He did realize that he brought no financial gains into their relationship but he always pushed that thought aside. He could deal with it after the war.

* * *

Sorey nodded. "Of course," he said, grabbing a tablet. "I'll send you one electronically and can send it to Iverson as well if you want. And by separation anxiety, what do you mean exactly? Panic attacks? Anything we need to be worried about?" he asked.

* * *

Confusion settled on Lance's face. "Uh, okay," he said, unsure. "You just kind of sounded...you know what never mind. How's your chicken rice?"

* * *

Shiro's face turned thoughtful. "More...afraid of the outside, I think. Distrustful. He's afraid Lance and I are going to be attacked because of him," he confessed. "Didn't want to let me go, clinging pretty tightly to my scent which is a Galran comfort tactic. And Lance had a breakdown too, which isn't as much of a concern but still. I'm just..." he trailed off.

* * *

Keith's brow furrowed. Did he make Lance angry? "Bland," he answered. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked. He felt like he should be apologizing for something...his shitty humor maybe?

* * *

Sorey frowned as Shiro spoke before hesitantly reaching out to place a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Are  _ you _ okay? You seem on edge, sir."

Shiro shook Sorey's hand off. "I'll be fine," he dismissed the concerns. "I just need to take these to them." He gestured to the pillow and sweatshirt in his hands. "Or have them delivered."

* * *

"Nah, just thought maybe you were upset about something." Lance shrugged. "Have you tried your tea yet?"

"Oh," Keith said softly before glancing at the tea when Lance asked about it. "Uh, no. I haven't," he said quietly, his face turning red as a sense of shame went through him. 

* * *

"I can have Mila deliver them, it’s no problem," Sorey said easily, not reacting to his hand being pushed off. "And the distrust, that is normal. Keith's sense of safety was destroyed by this assassination attempt, sir. And if yours and Lance's scents are what give him security, he's naturally going to latch on to that. As for Lance, I don't know what his breakdown was about but all three of you have been through something traumatic and need time to heal."

* * *

Lance leaned in closer, smiling teasingly at Keith. "Why are you blushing? Whatcha thinking about?"

* * *

Shiro took a few moments to mull that over and then sighed, shutting his eyes. "You're right. It just... hurts, seeing people you care about hurt and not being able to do anything about it."

* * *

Keith turned his head away in a futile attempt for Lance not to see his face.  _ That I can't pick up a fucking cup? _ "N-nothing," he said, fingers curling in his lap.

* * *

"I can't imagine what it’s like to be in your shoes, Commander, especially earlier but just being there for them is more than enough. Them knowing they have you to lean on is a tremendous help, trust me," Sorey reassured.

* * *

Lance's eyebrows furrowed. That wasn't his normal response. He reached out with his hand, curling it over Keith's and squeezing a little. "Hey, what is it?" he asked, all traces of teasing gone.

* * *

Shiro wasn't sure how to feel about Sorey's words. He decided he'd take them at face value. "Thank you," he said sincerely before holding out the items. "Can you pass these along to Mila for me? I'd take them myself, but I think the Admiral is probably already having a fit," he grimaced.

* * *

Keith glanced at Lance. "I-" he paused before taking a deep breath, "I-I'm fine. It’s nothing," he said softly. He just had to rest for a few minutes then his hands went be so shaky. He could take a sip of tea then.

* * *

Sorey gave the Commander a reassuring smile. "Of course, sir," he said as he took the items. "Are you coming back after your meeting?"

* * *

"Are you sure? You can tell me anything," Lance reassured. He squeezed Keith's hand lightly in emphasis.

* * *

Shiro nodded. "Once I report in and find out where everything stands at the moment, I'll be back," he agreed. "And find out what my amended schedule will be." He passed the items over, nervous to let them go but knowing he had more if they were needed. They could trust Sorey.

* * *

Keith glanced at Lance briefly before sighing, head falling forward slightly. "I can't pick up the cup," he mumbled, the shameful blush reappearing.

* * *

"See you then Commander,"Sorey said before turning around and returning to where he was before, asking a nearby tech to page Mila. She had a delivery to make.

Shiro watched Sorey go, glad he hadn't balked about delivering the items. He wished he could do it himself, but he knew if he came back to the room he'd probably never leave. He allowed himself a moment before he turned and headed down the hallway, moving toward the bridge.

* * *

"Oh! I can help with that." Lance smiled. "If you want."

Keith licked his lips. "I can probably do it in a few minutes my, uh, hands are shaking and I didn't want to drop it on you and make a...I'm going to stop rambling now," he said, reaching up and adjusting the cannula slightly before the hand dropped again.

"Okay," Lance said, smiling still. He knew it was frustrating not being able to do things by yourself. Like with his shirt...which he’d been successfully distracted from putting on. He glanced at the discarded piece of clothing and shrugged mentally. It’s not like he was cold. "So's the morphine still working for you?"

Keith nodded. "At least I'm not in horrible pain and my head’s still pretty fuzzy but I think I'm over the worst of it so no more spontaneous tears or meltdowns hopefully," he said, quirking a smile at Lance before frowning a bit when he saw the scratch marks on his cheek. Shakingly, he ghosted a touch by one of them, barely touching the skin. "Are you okay?"

Lance huffed a laugh and looked at the wall. Hopefully was right. His emotional exhaustion was maxed out. He didn’t think he’d be able to stay awake for another one. Lance blinked as he felt Keith's fingers barely brush his scratches. He turned back to Keith and smiled. "I'm fine, don’t even feel 'em anymore."

Keith looked at Lance. "What happened?" he asked softly before he realized what he asked. "You don't need to answer, sorry."

Lance blinked again, eyes momentarily wide as his heartbeat sped up. He didn’t want to tell him. Shiro didn’t even know the whole story and he’d only told him that much so he would stop blaming himself. If he told Keith...Keith would think it was his fault. It would hurt him. "I-"

Lance's head swung around at the sound of the door opening.

Keith frowned when he saw Lance's eyes widen, opening his mouth to reassure that Lance didn't have to answer only to pop it close when the door opened. Mila walked in. "I come bearing gifts," she said with a large smile as she held up the pillow and hoodie.

Lance watched as Mila strode in with a pillow and a hoodie. He smiled, glad that Shiro had found a way to leave something of his with Keith. 

Keith's eyes widened. Shiro's stuff. Tears beaded up in his eyes.  _ And I just told Lance the tears stopped, _ he thought as he reached out.

Mila chuckled but handed the items over to Keith, the young man instantly holding them to his nose and taking a deep breath. She turned her attention towards Lance, chuckling when she noticed him shirtless. "Need help with your shirt?"

Lance turned to Mila when she addressed him, then looked at the shirt laying on the bed. He stole a quick glance at Keith and smiled again, before looking back at Mila. "Um, yeah, thanks." He could always pull it back off later if he really needed to.

Mila picked up the shirt and started to help Lance into it. Keith caught the movement in the corner of his eye but quickly turned back to the gifts in his hands. He placed the pillow on the other side of him before looking at the hoodie. It reeked of Shiro and with each inhale, that scent along with Lance's, calmed him tremendously. He never realized how much he loved and needed their scents before. He quickly pulled it on. It was obviously large on him, the sleeves covering his hands and more. He smiled softly as he brought the hood up, turning his head to take a large inhale.  _ All I need is Lance's chest and everything would be perfect, _ he thought, mentally filing away the reminder that he had to thank Shiro for this.

Lance let Mila help him into the shirt and straightened it once it was on. "Thanks," he said, smiling warmly. He turned to look at Keith, his smile turning fond as he snuggled into the hoodie. "Well you look comfy."

Hearing Lance's voice, Keith glanced at his boyfriend, a heavy blush painting his cheeks. He burrowed deeper into the hoodie. 

Lance laughed quietly as Keith tried to hide in Shiro’s hoodie. God, he was so damn cute. 

Mila hid her chuckle behind her hand. Keith could be adorable if his barriers were down. She glanced at the bowl and frowned when she noticed only a few bites were gone. "You need to eat more," she said, "we don't want to put you back on the feeding tube."

Keith blinked. He knew he had to eat more but he also didn't trust his hands not to shake after two bites. The last thing he wanted to do is cover himself and Lance in rice and tea.

"We're working on it," Lance said, smiling at Mila. "Just taking it slow."

Mila gave Lance a glance before nodding. "Okay. I'll be back later to pick it up then. Are you feeling nauseous or anything?" she asked Keith.

Keith shook his head. All he felt was a fuzziness that he felt before when he got tipsy. 

Mila nodded. "Okay. Behave you two. I'll be back later. Call if you need anything," she said, ruffling Lance's hair before heading out.

"Thanks, Mila," Lance called as she left. He leaned back against the pillows.

* * *

Shiro tapped his foot nervously as he waited for the lift to take him up to the bridge. He hadn't asked for leave, hadn't communicated with anyone really since this whole incident had started, so hopefully everything would be relatively okay when he arrived.

The doors opened and he stepped out, taking stock of who was there. Iverson was in the chair, of course. Curtis was off to the side at the comms desk and shot him a small smile and nod once he saw him. Veronica and Allura were collaborating off in the back corner, and Coran was at the helm. He strode up to Iverson and saluted. "Reporting for duty, sir," he said, keeping his eyes fixed forward.

Iverson turned to look at Shiro, standing when he saw the young man. "Glad to see you decided to show up to the Bridge finally, Commander," he said, staring Shiro down slightly. "At ease."

Shiro fell into an informal pose, hands still behind his back. "Apologies for the delay, sir. I left as soon as medical released me for duty. You should be receiving a doctor's note shortly," he explained.

* * *

Keith leaned back as well and curled up slightly, resting his head on Lance's chest gingerly. He turned his head and inhaled Lance's scent, eyes closing as a soft purr began to come from his chest, happiness and content washing over him.

* * *

"Yes. Something about light duty," Iverson said. "The doctor failed to say what was wrong with you however merely citing that you're needed for Cadet Kogane's recovery but I also received a leave of absence for Cadet McClain for actual injuries. So, now I'm down three soldiers." Iverson ran his eyes up and down Shiro's body. "I fail to see any injuries on you, Commander and last I heard, Cadet Kogane was doing better so why exactly do you need even more leave when you've been given more than any other Commander on this ship."

* * *

Lance folded his arms around Keith, rubbing his arm gently. He smiled at the purr, leaning down to press a kiss to Keith's hair. "Comfortable?"

* * *

Shiro clenched his jaw. "With respect, sir, I believe this is a subject that should be discussed privately." Not that most of the bridge didn't know his business anyways, but it was the principle of the matter. Plus hopefully it would give him some time to pull something out of thin air.

* * *

Keith hummed, opening an eye to look up at Lance. "I'm not pressing on anything am I?" he asked, not wanting to hurt Lance.

* * *

Iverson raised an eyebrow at Shiro but started walking away. "Follow me to my office then Commander," he gruffly said, leaving the bridge without even checking to see if Shiro was following.

* * *

"Nope," Lance replied, smiling. "How’s the food sitting so far?

* * *

Shiro followed behind, not as far forward as he could have been but not lagging significantly. Iverson left the door open for him and he shut it behind them, continuing to stand at ease. "Sir, you are aware of our medical situation. That is being exacerbated by PTSD from the mission. I am not requesting a complete leave of absence, nor do I want one." He grit his teeth. "I'm on call more than any other Commander on this ship and handle twice the duties, sir. Surely that counts for something."

* * *

"Fine just...waiting for my arms so I don't cover you in my food..." Keith mumbled into Lance's chest. 

* * *

Iverson sat behind his desk, eyebrow rising as Shiro spoke. "This... _ relationship _ has also torn you away from your duties more so than anything else. Between this and the stint 6 months ago, you've also requested the most time off for Cadet Kogane."

* * *

Lance hummed. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, idly tracing the fingers of one of Keiths hands gently with his own.

Keith glanced up at Lance. "Beyond feeding me, not really." Keith sighed, nuzzling further into Lance's chest.

"I have absolutely no problem doing that for you,  _ mi amor _ ," Lance said happily. Feeding Keith would be so freaking cute.

Keith glanced up at Lance, a look of shock in his eyes. Even after being with this man for six months, he was still shocked at how kind...how warm Lance could be. How easy he stepped up to the plate while he was out of commission when he was injured as well. Feeling a heavy blush appearing on his cheeks, Keith turned his face to hide it in Lance's chest.

Lance raised an eyebrow and smiled, amused. "Is that a no?"

Keith turned slightly so an eye was peeking out. "I wouldn't say no just...sometimes I wonder how an asshole like me got a kind man like you."

* * *

Shiro felt like he was going to be sick. "Yes sir I have, and you have had the circumstances surrounding Galran mating pairs explained to you. I would hate to think you'd prefer being down one Paladin, especially one of our best pilots, permanently instead of letting one man go down to light duty instead."

Iverson narrowed his eyes. "I understand this... _ bond _ that you have with Cadet Kogane but you also have to understand that war doesn't stand aside because you want to cuddle with your boy toy," he growled. "You have a responsibility to the Garrison and to the Earth as well, Commander."

* * *

"I used up 90% of my luck," Lance said, leaning down to press a kiss to Keith's forehead.

Keith's blush deepened, the young man using his sweater paws to hide his face. "Lance...how can you be so fucking smooth, damn it," he muttered behind the sleeves.

"It's the skin care routine," Lance smiled smugly.

* * *

Shiro briefly saw red, but reined himself in. "With all due respect, that's not what his circumstances are at all. If I were shirking my responsibility to the Garrison I would still be in the medical wing, not fighting Keith to come here to report instead." He clenched his fists by his sides, nails digging in on his left palm. "I know better than anyone else that war doesn't stop for anything except victory." Not dismemberment, horror, emotions, or otherwise.

"Then act like it, Commander!" Iverson shouted, shooting up to stand. "Since you've started this damn thing with Kogane, you seem to be distracted all the time! It was bad enough before you went to Kerberos and it only seemed to get worse." Iverson took a breath. "I understand that Kogane was attacked but he is on the mend. You or Cadet McClain do not have to hold his hand through every injury!"

* * *

Keith reached out with one hand, lightly hitting Lance's face with a sleeve cuff. "That was horrible."

"Thank you, I'm here all night." Lance winked and leaned in again to press a kiss to Keith's nose this time.

"Then feed me," Keith mumbled, blushing deeper when Lance kissed his nose. "Be useful."

"My pleasure," Lance smiled happily, unwrapping an arm from Keith to pick up his spoon. He stirred the chicken and rice a bit before grabbing a spoonful and bringing it up to Keith's mouth. He resisted the urge to make airplane noises. His little cousins had liked it, but he had a feeling Keith would hit him if he tried.

Keith glanced up at Lance before taking the spoonful in his mouth. He chewed a bit before swallowing. "Thanks," he whispered.

* * *

Shiro looked up, startled. "Sir, you weren't seeing the person you love drowning in his own blood," he started. "You weren't there to see how lost they were. If it were your own partner, can you honestly say you wouldn't be shaken?" He shook his head as the fight went out of him. He wouldn't understand. He didn't want to, so he never would. "Please, just assign me to double duty or whatever you've decided my punishment is, because I know I'm not going to be able to convince you to see our side even though a doctor has deemed it medically necessary." He shoved his hands into his pockets, ready for Iverson to lay down his judgment. Shiro had been through this enough times, he may as well just take whatever was dished out and lick his wounds in the small amount of time he had left with his boyfriends. He had known he'd been distracted, but he thought it was understandable. Obviously not.

* * *

"Anytime, sweetheart." Lance returned the spoon to the bowl, getting another scoop and bringing it back to Keith. A warm feeling settled in his heart. He loved that he could do this for Keith. That Keith would let him.

Keith smiled softly as he took another bite, swallowing before asking for a sip of tea quietly.

Lance nodded, reaching for the mug of tea. He carefully brought it to Keith's lips.

* * *

Iverson frowned, sitting back down. "My partner would understand that my place would be behind this desk and not wiping his tears," Iverson sneered before gritting his teeth. "I can't go against medical advice for legal reasons so you are on light duty for 7 days, Shirogane. 4 hours max per day." He bit out.

Shiro grit his teeth and nodded, clicking his heels together somewhat violently. "Sir. Permission to be dismissed."

Iverson looked at Shiro before waving his hand. "Permission granted," he said before turning around so all Shiro saw was the back of his chair.

Shiro threw up a salute and didn't wait for an answer, just strode to the door and opened it. He let it swing shut hard, but not so hard that it slammed. He took a moment to take a deep breath, releasing it through his nose before walking back to the bridge. "So. Who wants to catch me up?" He looked to the room at large, catching a few concerned looks.

* * *

Keith took a few sips before gently placing a hand on Lance's wrist. He looked up at Lance with hooded eyes. "Kiss?" he asked in the same soft tone.

* * *

Allura looked up, concern obvious in her eyes. "Shiro..." She glanced over her shoulder to look at Veronica and Coran before looking back at Shiro as she approached him. "Is everything okay?"

* * *

Lance set the mug down carefully and rested his fingers beneath Keith's chin, tilting it up as he leaned down, pressing their lips together. When he pulled back, he didn't go far, lips just shy of touching.

Keith smiled, eyes fluttering shut as he felt Lance's lips touch his. A quiet whine left him when he felt Lance's lips leave his. "All you got, sharpshooter?" he said before pushing his lips back against Lance's, one of his hands coming up to lightly rest on the side of Lance's neck.

Lance chuckled into the kiss, smiling. "You just said, 'kiss', you didn’t say what kind," he said cheekily against Keith's lips.

* * *

Shiro looked to Allura, wanting to tell her. He couldn't, at least right now. "Quite alright, Princess," he agreed, eyes flashing a bit of his pain. "What's happening on board?"

Allura frowned but sighed. "Everything is as good as can be," she answered. "The investigation is still ongoing. From what the nurse said, there seems to be others but no one is exactly coming forward saying that they have malicious thoughts about Keith," Allura said. 

* * *

"Wanted a real kiss," Keith whispered against Lance's lips, leaning back slightly as he opened his eyes to look at Lance. His hand went up to cup Lance's cheek, his thumb caressing the bruise on the tanned skin gently. "I love you," he whispered, "and I'm sorry I've made you cry every ounce of moisture from your body within the past 24 hours but if it makes you feel any better, you're still pretty when you cry."

* * *

Shiro frowned. "So they're just taking a straw poll, they're not investigating? They're not going to confess," he pointed out. "Especially if they know someone's going to jail for attempted murder."

Allura sighed. "The nurse hasn’t pointed anybody out and Keith's been in critical condition so they haven't been able to ask him anything. I would hope the Garrison is doing everything in their power to investigate an assassination attempt on one of their students, especially one that is a Paladin."

* * *

"I love you, too," Lance whispered back. "And it's okay." Lance let his eyes wander over Keith's face as he brushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "It's easy enough to get back. I'm just...really really glad you're still here."

* * *

Shiro shut his eyes a little, taking a breath. "You're right. Sorry," he murmured. "Just. Long day." And he sure as hell didn't need Iverson to see him climbing all over Allura the first chance he got. "I'm sure we're doing everything we can. What's the status on the Galran supply routes we were looking to disrupt?"

* * *

Keith smiled bashfully as Lance tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Me too," Keith replied softly. "Sorry I worried you."

Lance rested his forehead against Keiths and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Everything went to plan even though we couldn't use Voltron or the lions, none of the Paladins were in shape to fly," she explained. "The MFE fighters were able to disrupt them well enough to delay them. Once Keith and Lance are able to fly, we can look into possibly destroying them completely." Her expression softened. "...How are they? We haven't had an update in a while..."

Shiro nodded. He was glad Griffin's team was still up and running, at least. The question about Keith and Lance brought him up short, even though he should have been expecting it. "Lance's primary injury is a broken wrist. He'll be out until that heals. Keith..." he trailed off, trying to figure out where to begin. "He's on oxygen. We just got him off of the feeding tube. His spirits aren't great," he confessed, "but we're trying to work on that. He'll be out for a while.”

Allura rested a hand on her heart. "I'm sorry, Shiro." She couldn't fathom sitting through that. "Hopefully his mood will rise as his health does."

A snort brought her attention to a trio of people that were standing behind Shiro. "This is Keith we're talking about. Does that guy have a good mood?" James Griffin said with a smirk, crossing his arms while his fellow MFE fighters gave him shocked looks.

* * *

Keith closed his eyes, leaning up and pressing his lips against Lance's once more bringing the Cuban into a slow but passionate kiss.

* * *

"Shut it, Griffin. That's my brother’s boyfriend you're talking about," Veronica called from her seat.

Shiro turned around, an eyebrow raised as he ignored Veronica. "Griffin. Are you here to report?" Otherwise why the hell was he up here picking a bone.

"Yes, Commander," Kincade said, saluting. "Scouting mission found nothing to report. Clear skies 1000 ft radius, sir."

Shiro nodded to Kincaide. "Good to hear. How was the supply run mission?"

* * *

Lance leaned into the kiss, trying to convey everything he couldn't say. His right hand moved to cradle the back of Keith's head and the fingers of his left hand traced his jaw lightly.

Keith deepened the kiss slightly, his other hand coming up to rest on Lance's right side. He leaned back slightly. "You're so fucking handsome," he breathed against Lance's lips before diving back in.

* * *

"It went well, sir," Kincade answered. "The planet was more than gracious with giving us supplies. Something about Keith helping them during a Blade mission and repayment, sir." 

Griffin looked away and muttered something causing Rizavi to smack him lightly on the elbow and give him a glare. 

Allura raised an eyebrow at the action wanting to say something but the MFE fighters fell under Garrison jurisdiction which fell under Shiro and Veronica. She merely dealt with Voltron.

* * *

Lance's breath hitched in his throat as he held back a moan. "And you're fucking gorgeous." Lance sighed into Keith's mouth before recapturing his lips. "You're supposed to be eating," he added between kisses.

"It’s not going anywhere and you taste better anyways," Keith murmured. "And if I'm gorgeous you're breathtaking," he added before focusing back on the kiss.

Lance whimpered. "Keith, you gotta stop," he breathed, but made no move to stop himself. Lance was weak. So so weak. It was very unfair.

Keith leaned back, slightly out of breath but nodded. "Sorry," he whispered, turning his head as a few coughs tore themselves out of his chest. He turned back towards Lance, tucking his head into the junction between his neck and shoulder as he tried to catch his breath.

Lance slid his arms around Keith and held him close as they both worked on slowing their breathing. "No, don't be. You're just still recovering and...Mila would kick my ass. Once you're cleared, yeah?"

Keith hummed, turning his head slightly so his nose was pushed into the side of Lance's neck. "You sold yourself short earlier. You smell as good as Shiro," he whispered, one of his arms coming to rest over Lance's stomach.

* * *

Shiro raised his eyebrow farther. "Well I'm glad it went well," he agreed. "Goes to show us that doing a good turn now will benefit us in the future. Can anyone else bring me up to speed on the Empire's movements?"

Allura cleared her throat. "Not much has changed, I'm afraid. Any groups we do run across appear to be factions that split off from the main branch of the Empire. We were able to discover that the supply route did belong to Honerva, but attempts to track them didn't turn out." At Shiro's curious look she clarified. "Victory or death."

Shiro pursed his lips in response. 

"Other than that, not much has changed since Keith was brought back. Some communication with Kolivan, but he plans to reconnect once Keith is in a more stable form of recovery." She crossed her arms over her torso.

"Excellent. Thank you Allura, and everyone," he looked around the group with a smile.

* * *

Lance blushed and cleared his throat. "Thanks." Lance adjusted his arm slightly around Keith's shoulder. "You do too, you know."

Keith leaned back, his eyebrow rising slowly. "Lance...I haven't showered in 5 days," he said slowly.

"And I haven't in three, what's your point?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow right back.

Keith looked at Lance before laughing, bowing until his forehead rested against Lance's shoulder.

Lance huffed a laugh, giving Keith an amused smile. "Something funny?"

Keith leaned back, smiling fondly at his boyfriend. With a shaky hand, he reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind Lance's ear. "We both need a shower."

"We're both going to need  _ help _ with a shower," Lance chuckled.

Keith chuckled, head tilting slightly. "That's why we have Shiro, right?"

* * *

Shiro looked over to Veronica. "A word?" he said quietly after he caught her eye.

Veronica nodded, standing up and moving to follow Shiro from the Bridge.

Shiro walked out into the hallway, waiting until the door to the bridge was shut before he turned to her. "Have you talked to Lance recently?" he started, opening with a soft question.

Veronica shook her head. "Not since before you guys left to find Keith. I didn't have a chance to get down to the med bay before security was posted and they won't let anyone through."

* * *

"Exactly." Lance laughed.

Keith chuckled, settling beside Lance again, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. He closed his eyes simply existing for a moment.

* * *

Shiro made a soft noise. He hadn't thought of that. "I'll have an exception made for you," he offered. "Of all the people on this ship, I know for sure that you wouldn't hurt a hair on Keith's head as long as he keeps Lance happy."

"Thank you, Commander. How is he really doing?" she asked. She knew this whole ordeal must be taking its toll on her youngest sibling and wasn't sure he’d be honest if she asked. 

* * *

Lance leaned his cheek on top of Keith's head, letting them sit quietly for a moment. "You really should keep eating."

Keith smirked. "Just trying to fatten me up," he said.

_ He’s not wrong _ , Lance though before grabbing the spoon and bringing a mouthful of rice to Keith. "You caught me," he admitted jokingly.

Keith chuckled before opening his mouth for Lance. "You're lucky I love you."

Lance just shrugged and scooped up another spoonful of rice, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

* * *

Shiro frowned, considering if he should tell her the whole truth. "Well, all things considered," he finally said. "He's emotional, which is to be expected. He's sticking close to Keith, which isn't a bad thing. They need each other right now," he murmured, mostly in thought to himself. He didn't know what he'd do if he had to leave either one of them alone. Thank the gods they had each other.

Veronica nodded again. She’d have to give her brother a big hug when she went to see him. "Thank you, Commander," she said softly. "For taking care of him." She knew her brother. Knew he’d probably leaned on Shiro heavily during the whole ordeal.

Shiro smiled a little self-deprecatingly. "He took equally good care of me. Thank you to your family for raising such a good, caring man."

Veronica smiled. "I'm glad to hear he isn't a nuisance  _ all _ the time," she joked fondly.

Shiro chuckled. "No, we rather enjoy having him around," he agreed. "Now. Anything I need to know about what's going on behind the scenes here? Griffin seems like he's having fun running his mouth.”

* * *

Keith kept eyes shut, opening his mouth periodically as Lance continued to feed him.

When Lance reached the end of the bowl, he set the spoon down and offered Keith the rest of his tea. He honestly couldn't believe he’d gotten him to eat the whole thing. Granted, it was just a small bowl and they'd taken a break, but still. He was proud of Keith for eating all of it.

Keith drank the tea down, wetting his dry throat and lips. He eased an eye open to peer up at Lance. "No more?"

"Nope, you finished it all. I'm proud of you," he said, smiling down at Keith. "Why, are you still hungry? I can page Mila to see if we can get you more?"

Keith shook his head. He felt like he was going to explode but he wanted to eat as much as he could to quell Lance's worries. He nuzzled into Lance's shoulder, his eyes closing again, his arms weakly wrapping around his stuffed stomach.

* * *

Veronica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, popping a hip. "Nah, he’s just being his normal self. Honestly?" She unfolded her arms. "This is the first time I've heard him say anything about Keith since you guys went to get him. I...think he waited until word got around that Keith was getting better to start badmouthing him again." She huffed an annoyed laugh. "Nice of him, right?"

* * *

"That's okay, you already ate more than you usually do. You still feeling alright?" Lance asked, hand brushing gently up and down Keith's arm.

Keith nodded into Lance's shoulder. "Ate too much," he replied, burrowing a bit deeper into Shiro's hoodie, craving the warmth and security it and Lance's touches brought when not he was not feeling the best.

"Next time tell me to stop, okay?" Lance said. He didn’t want to aggravate Keith's stomach after they'd just gotten it to cooperate with them. He hesitated. It had always helped him when he had a stomach ache when he was younger. But... "Hey, so I might be able to help? My mom used to rub my stomach whenever I had a stomach ache when I was little and it always made me feel better. We could try it if you want?" he asked, somewhat shyly. He felt bad for making Keith eat so much.

"You're always worried that I don't eat enough," Keith whispered. He glanced up at Lance's suggestion, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. "If you think it will work..." he said. "And if you want to. More queasy than anything," he said softly.

"I know, sweetheart, but this is different. We have to ease you back into me trying to shove food in your face, okay? So please? Tell me to stop next time?" Lance implored, looking down at Keith, a small amount of guilt shining through his worry.

Keith opened an eye again, looking up at Lance. He nodded before closing it again. "Okay," he whispered, "sorry."

"Don’t be," Lance said, placing a kiss to Keith's forehead. "And thank you. Now I'm going to need you to lie down, okay? It works better that way," Lance requested, preparing to move to Keith's right side. That way he wouldn’t have to reach with his good hand.

Keith nodded and reclined as much as he could with the front of the raised. "This good?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lance said as he maneuvered himself over to Keith's right, pushing the tray onto the second bed. He almost asked if Keith would prefer he lay down with him or sit up, but figured he knew the answer and laid down on his left side on the incline, before slipping his hand underneath Keith's hoodie and hospital shirt. He began rubbing soft circles around Keith's belly button with the flat of his hand, being careful not to put any pressure down yet. His mom had told him once that the motion was supposed to help the digestive juices or something like that. He only hoped it would work for Keith too. Lance pressed a kiss to Keith's covered shoulder. "Let me know if it's helping or not in a bit."

Keith hummed as he felt Lance's warm touch on his stomach. His eyes fluttered shut as he allowed himself to be taken care of, something he learned through this experience as still being difficult for him. Without him realizing it, a deep timbre purr began to come from his chest.

Lance smiled softly.  _ Guess that's my answer then, _ he thought. He was glad it was working. Lance closed his eyes as well, letting the purr relax him as he continued moving his hand in clockwise circles.

* * *

Shiro hummed. "I guess James Griffin actually does care about Keith," he mused to himself quietly. Who would have thought?

"In his own, messed up way, I suppose," Veronica said, not really sure if the comment required a response or not.

* * *

"You're going to make me fall asleep," Keith mumbled, the purring making his voice come out deeper than it usually does. He didn't exactly want to fall asleep, the last thing Lance needed to deal with was him having a nightmare.

"You want me to stop?" Lance asked, blinking his eyes open to look at Keith.

Keith frowned slightly. He didn't want Lance to stop. He  _ was _ helping. But he also didn't want to have another nightmare and freak Lance out. The Cuban didn't need any more stress, the man was already a ball of it. He was torn on a decision and it showed on his face.

"What is it?" Lance furrowed his brows at the indecisive look on Keith's face. He momentarily stopped his hand, just resting it on Keith's stomach as he waited for an answer.

Keith opened his eyes to look at Lance. He sighed before looking up to stare at the ceiling. "The massage is helping but...I don't wanna fall asleep," he said.

"Okay," Lance said, taking his hand out from under Keith's shirts and wrapping it over him instead, snuggling into his shoulder.

Keith chuckled quietly. He was expecting Lance to ask why but he didn't. A sense of warmth went through him. Lance didn't push when others would, respecting Keith's privacy and silent nature even though it went against his boisterous one. Turning his head, Keith nuzzled into the top of Lance's head, nose buried in Lance's shaggy hair.

* * *

Shiro chuckled again. "Yeah, no kidding. But rivals do that," he agreed. "How are you doing?" Her brother and his boyfriend had been injured, Shiro would be surprised if she wasn't at least a little shaken.

* * *

Lance hummed as Keith nuzzled into his hair. He was so comfortable right now, he probably could have fallen back asleep as well. He was still kind of exhausted after his breakdown earlier. "Whatcha thinking about?"

* * *

"I'm okay. Now, anyway. I was worried for a while and then they wouldn't let me in...really, thank you again for telling me how they're doing," she said, turning thankful eyes to Shiro. "I trust your word more than some random officers."

* * *

"How awesome you are," Keith mumbled into Lance's hair. "How lucky I am to have both of you."

Lance chuckled. Clearly the morphine hadn't left his system yet. "You're cute."

Keith laughed softly. "You're biased."

"Nah, why would you say that?" Lance kissed Keith’s shoulder again.

Keith snorted. "Because no one finds me remotely cute besides you and maybe Shiro. I'm just the asshole Galra that they allow on the ship."

"That's a lie, you take that back. They would have to be blind not to see how gorgeous you are. And I happen to know for a fact that at least 6 more people think you're cute," Lance stated looking up at Keith and tightening his arm around him slightly.

Keith leaned back slightly, raising an eyebrow. "My mom doesn't count, Lance."

Lance’s eyes widened, surprised he’d forgotten. "Oh my god, I didnt even count her! I also thought of three more people just now not including your mom."

"Nor do the other Paladins, who the hell are you thinking about?" Keith asked, blinking in confusion, head tilting slightly.

"I fail to see how Pidge and Hunk don’t count." Lance pouted. "But let's see...there’s Allura, Coran, Mila, Sorey, Pietro, Mikleo, Veronica, my other sister Rachel,  _ my _ mom, basically my entire family really-"

Keith blinked rapidly, shock swimming in his eyes. "How...wait...When did your mom even see me? Or better yet...the rest of your family?!?"

"When we went back to Earth after getting Shiro back. Veronica may or may not have taken a picture of us hanging out and...sent it to the entire family. So, yeah. They all think you're cute and want to meet you so..." Lance chuckled and hid his face in Keith's shoulder, embarrassed.

Keith's face turned bright red. "She...and they..." Keith swallowed. "Do they, uh, know that we're...dating?" A mirthless chuckle came from him. "Practically married and I never even met your parents," he muttered. Lance deserved better than this imprinting. He deserved a real relationship. Like a relationship that he would get would get with Shiro.

Lance laughed. "Veronica knows. As I'm pretty sure everyone on the ship does at this point and I may or may not have also sent my mom a long distance message so yeah...they all know," he said a little sheepishly. "And we were always a little unorthodox. I don’t mind. You make me happy and that's all that matters to them anyway."

Keith smiled. Lance's family sounds warm. Kind. A family he always longed for as a foster child. "Do they know that I’m, um, part Galran?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay. My family asked about all the paladins, Allura and Coran when I had dinner with them that one night. My niece and nephew think it's really cool," he added. He chuckled at the memory of them jumping all over him, asking non stop questions. Between Keith's half Galran genes and Shiro’s Altean crystal powered prosthetic, he knew they'd be a hit with the younger kids

"Yeah, that's fine. Better than them being surprised although I doubt I'll be able to live up to the ‘cool’ that they're looking for," Keith answered, a bit dazed that Lance's niece and nephew thought it was cool. While he wasn't expecting a malicious reaction, he wasn't expecting one like that. But in hindsight, it should've been obvious. Lance didn't take it that badly when Keith's heritage was discovered. And he wasn't exactly sure what was cool about it that they got from his picture. The only thing that was Galran physically was his eye color and lithe stature. He just couldn't help but feel like he wasn't what Lance's parents thought of when picturing Lance's future spouse or partner in general…

* * *

Shiro smiled a little bashfully. "I'm glad to hear that. Really." Once she found out that he and Lance were dating he hoped she would feel the same. He wasn't exactly being up front with her, but it was a necessary deception. "I'll make sure to pass along to the guards that you're to be allowed in."

"Thank you, I'll see about going to visit later today then," Veronica said, smiling. "We should probably get back."

* * *

"Don't sell yourself short, samurai. You're super cool. I even thought so before I was letting myself admit it," Lance said, nudging Keith gently. "They'll love you, promise."

Keith smiled softly, looking away from Lance almost bashfully. "I'm holding you to that promise," he mumbled. A family. It would be a nice change.

"You do that," Lance chuckled. He already knew he'd made good on the promise.

"Would you want me to explain...everything or did you want to tell them that, I dunno, you confessed in some romantic way with roses and chocolates?" Keith asked. He wasn't sure how he would explain an Imprinting bond to Lance's family...he felt like he was barely able to explain to Lance and Shiro.

"No. The truth is so much more romantic," Lance replied, scooting up a bit to press a kiss to Keith's cheek. "You can't beat soulmates."

* * *

Shiro nodded, a smile on his face. "After you," he said, gesturing for Veronica to lead the way. He should start trying to catch up on all the paperwork he'd missed out on, follow up on the Laogai investigation, start brainstorming alternatives for Voltron...  _ Hell, that's a daunting list _ .

Veronica turned and headed back onto the bridge, returning to her chair and her screens. She couldn't wait to go see her baby brother and his man again.

Shiro followed Veronica onto the bridge, sitting at a station off to the side and logging in before starting to weed through his ridiculously packed email list and report queue.  _ Going to have to do some of this from my tablet to get it all done. _ Iverson would love that, him working even though he was on light duty. Shiro sighed internally and got to work.

* * *

A blush blossomed across Keith's cheek. "I mean...it’s not...exactly soulmates but I mean, it’s not that I don't think of you and Shiro as soulmates but..." Keith trailed off realizing that he was just rambling at this point.

"It totally is," Lance argued. "Basically. It's close enough. And it's very romantic!"

Keith rolled his eyes although he had a smile on his face. "Yes, very romantic. I cradled you in my arms, which you conveniently forgot by the way, and my alien side went ‘yep, this one.’ Yep, very romantic."

"I had just woken up from a coma!" Lance exclaimed looking at his boyfriend. "My brain wasn't working fully yet. And of course it did. Besides, my heart did the same thing the first time I saw you." Lance smiled happily, rubbing his nose against Keiths. "Even if I told myself it was hate instead," he laughed, shaking his head. "I'm so glad I got my head out of my ass. You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

A few short high pitched chirps came from Keith as Lance rubbed his nose against his. He looked away, a blush appearing on his cheeks, the color deepening as Lance continued to speak. "I-I doubt that, Lance," he whispered. "You should have someone who sweeps you off your feet...not give you panic attacks." Someone like Shiro.

"That wasn't your fault, Keith. I was just...really stressed," Lance replied softly. He shook his head slightly. He was going to keep them from going down that hole. "And if you wanted to sweep me off my feet why didn't you say so? I love being in your arms."

Keith snorted as Lance's cheesy words before sobering. "I just want to give you the relationship you deserve," Keith whispered, eyes down.

"You already have," Lance smiled, leaning forward to press his lips to Keiths.

Keith whimpered as he felt Lance's lips against his. He didn't feel like Lance was getting what he deserved. He deserved someone who was romantic. Someone who showed him off. Not Keith who was closed off, who barely knew what romance  _ was _ .

"What is it,  _ cariño _ ," Lance said quietly, pulling back just enough to look into Keith's eyes.

Keith shook his head. "It's not important," he whispered. "...Are you happy though...w-with our relationship, I mean," he asked softly.

"Keith," Lance said quietly, concern clear on his face, eyes darting between Keith's. "Of course I am. Are you?" Why was Keith asking this? Did Lance somehow give him the idea that he wasn't?

Keith nodded, looking away from Lance slightly. "You make me the happiest I've been," Keith said quietly. "You and Shiro." 

* * *

Iverson sat in his office, doing work before another ding alerted him of another email. His mood soured further as he read the details of the email. He stood up and marched to Shiro's room, throwing open the door. "Commander Shirogane, explain to me why Cadet Kogane is out on leave for six months and the Blades are pushing to do an investigation themselves," he growled.

* * *

Lance reached up to turn Keith's face towards him again, still concerned. "Okay," he said softly, still trying to read however Keith was feeling through his eyes. "Then why do you sound anything but. What's wrong. You can tell me anything."

* * *

Shiro had nearly been nodding off to sleep, scrolling through email after email. The door slamming open startled him into a standing position. "Sir," he started. "I'm not sure. This is the first I'm hearing about it. If the Blades liaison was injured on a mission, it makes sense that they would launch an investigation..." Keith being so gravely injured would surely explain the extended leave of absence, so he didn't comment on it outright.

"The Garrison is investigating Cadet Kogane's injuries. We don't need...the Blades to be butting in where they're not needed," Iverson growled.

* * *

Keith licked his lips and shrugged slightly, teeth worrying his lips. He wasn't sure how to word what he was feeling. That he felt like a shitty boyfriend? That Lance had two panic attacks because of him and he could do nothing. Lance and Shiro catered to his every need and he only brought them pain. He was a shitty boyfriend.

"Hey, sweetheart," Lance said, laying his hand on Keith's cheek and rubbing his thumb over his cheekbone, "this is obviously bothering you. Let me help?" He started placing little butterfly kisses over Keith's face starting with his jaw. He hoped the tiny kisses would help soothe his boyfriend. He didn't like when Keith wore that face. It usually meant he was thinking self-deprecating things. Sometimes Keith would let him in and he could help ease the thoughts, but it was always hit or miss with getting him to talk about it.

Keith closed his eyes.  _ There he goes again _ , he thought,  _ taking care of me. _ It was always take care of Keith. He always had to be cared for, stepped around. He loved the attention, the comfort, but he felt like such a burden. He felt  _ guilty _ for needing this attention and wanting more of it. When he felt Lance beginning to place kisses across his jaw, Keith nearly wanted to sob. "It’s this," Keith said softly.

* * *

Shiro looked confused. "Sir, he was injured on a Blades mission. It makes perfect sense that they would be investigating." He seemed concerned. Worried, even. What was he afraid the Blades were going to uncover? Not for the first time, the nagging little doubt that something wasn't quite right came to mind.

"The injuries that he got while on the Blade mission are not important to the medical malpractice investigation!" Iverson said. "They can investigate how Kogane screwed up all they want but they don't need to investigate a Garrison nurse and for something that happened on a Garrison ship," Iverson snapped.

* * *

"This?" Lance asked, moving back. He swallowed. "Keith, you know if I'm being too much you can tell me to stop, right?" he said, quietly. Lance loved giving attention and love, but he knew he could be a bit...overwhelming sometimes. He hadn't realized...he wished Keith had said something, he would have tried to dial down the affections. He didn't want to be the one making Keith upset.

* * *

Shiro looked shocked at that. Medical malpractice investigation? Did the Galra even know what suing was? "Sir, I believe they're allowed a civil investigation as to the treatment of their asset under our care," he pointed out. "Even if they aren't a strictly civil organization. Is there a reason they aren't doing it as a joint investigation with the Garrison?" Besides Iverson's refusal to collaborate, that is. It wouldn't surprise him if that were the case.

* * *

Keith shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted. He hid his face behind his hands, the palms padded slightly by the excess hoodie that covered them. How do you explain to someone that you wanted more affection, that you loved knowing that a person loves and cherishes you, an idea that was foreign to him, but felt guilty for wanting it. It was messed up and he knew it. He didn't want to feel this way but everytime he wanted to curl inside Lance's arms or be held in Shiro's, a sense of guilt would wash over him. He went years without it, why couldn't he now? Lance and Shiro didn't need to be with him, touching him, every second just because he craved affection. 

"It’s not that," Keith said, the words muffled by his hands. "It’s...You...I..." Keith gritted his teeth. Even with all the morphine in his system and his barriers down, he couldn't get this insecurity out. Relationships were all about communication and he was shit at that. How did Lance and Shiro deal with him?

* * *

Iverson raised an eyebrow. "No one said anything about them bringing forth a suit against us or the medical staff," Iverson said, brows furrowing slightly, "and we will not participate in a joint investigation as this is a Garrison issue. Plain and simple."

Shiro looked confused. "Are we informing them of our findings at least?" He guessed Iverson wanted him to call off the Blades' attack dogs. With Keith out of commission, liaison duties would likely fall to him as head of Voltron.

Iverson raised an eyebrow. "The Blades of Marmora do not need to know every little thing that happens on this ship just because Kogane is here nor do I see the importance of informing them of anything so late. The investigation is nearly wrapped up. All we need is Kogane's statement about what happened which will happen when the medical team deems him healthy enough to answer a few questions," Iverson stated. "Then this whole mess will be done."

* * *

Lance sat up slightly, propping himself on his left elbow as he reached over with his right hand to gently pry Keith's away from his face, and take one in his own. "Alright," he said quietly, "if you really don't want to talk about it, I won't make you. I just hope you know that I love you. So much. And nothing is ever going to change that, okay? Whatever  _ this _ is? I hope it gets better. And I hope that you'll let me know if you ever need space or if you even just want a quick hug. I don't mind." He gave Keith a small, pained smile as he ran his thumb over Keith's knuckles. He didn't really want to drop it. Clearly something was eating at him, enough that he was visibly upset by it, but Lance couldn't do anything unless Keith told him what was wrong. He supposed he would just have to be here, with him, until told otherwise.

Keith let Lance take his hand, focusing on the grounding sensation of Lance's thumb against his knuckles as he listened to him speak. Keith lowered his other hand, eyes falling to their joined ones. "I-I'm selfish," he whispered.

"Huh?" Lance asked, eloquently.

Keith's head dipped forward more. "I'm selfish. You give and give. Shiro gives and gives." Keith chuckled mirthlessly. "And I take and take." Keith's voice trailed off to a mere whisper.

"Again. Huh?" Lance didn't understand. Hadn't they already had this conversation? Was Keith really still thinking that he didn’t contribute anything to their relationship?

Keith opened his mouth before shutting it, shaking his head slightly. It wasn't fair for him to throw all of his stupid insecurities onto Lance. He caused enough trouble.

"Keith, you don't just  _ take _ , okay? You give so much," he tried to reason, continuing to rub his thumb over Keith's knuckles. "When I'm having a bad day, you know what makes me feel better? You. When I'm stressed out? You. When I'm sad? You. If I need someone to just cuddle with, you are the first person I go to. You make me so happy. You make me feel loved and special and wonderful. And I know Shiro feels the same. Don't you see? You give me and Shiro so much. Why do you think that you don't?"

Keith shook his head. "I don't though. How do I make you feel special o-or loved?" Keith asked. "I add to your stress. I'm having a bad day, you hug me, read to me, make sure I eat. I let you maybe hold my hand when you're having a shitty day?" Keith bit hard on his bottom lip. "I'm a shit boyfriend, you can admit it, it would only be the truth."

Lance's eyes softened as he looked at Keith. "And I don't add to yours? No relationship is stress-free, okay? And if it was, it wouldn't be real." He took Keith's hand and traced it with his fingers before holding it to his cheek. He started softly. "It's the way you look at me. The way you say my name. The  _ way _ you hold my hand, or catch my eye across the room during a meeting just to roll your eyes. The way you always have my back and trust me to have yours. And when I'm having a shitty day, you listen, and sit next to me, just a comforting presence nearby, and squeeze my hand if I take yours because I need the contact. When I'm mad you push me harder in the training room so I can let it out. When I'm sad, you always ask me to tell you funny stories from when I grew up until I'm smiling again. You always get me a glass of water if I've been crying. And I know you're the one who covers me with the blanket when I fall asleep on Shiro's couch. And when I'm having a supremely shitty day? You curl up with me and purr and make it all go away. I know you do similar things for Shiro, too. You're not a shit boyfriend, Keith."

Keith looked down while Lance spoke. The things he did, they seem so small, so insignificant but they apparently held merit to Lance. "Don't want you to get cold," Keith said softly, "and your smile is cute." But he wasn't going to say that one out loud. Except he did, much to his displeasure.

Lance smiled and kissed Keith's palm. "Thank you. For everything you do for me."

Keith licked his lips. "You keep me alive, a glass of water and a blanket is the least I can do," Keith said softly.

* * *

Shiro raised his eyebrow. Wasn't it obvious? "It was a racially motivated crime, as a group exclusively of that race I understand their concern. What are the findings of the investigation, sir?" That was wrapping up awfully quickly, even if it was fairly cut and dry. What about potential continued threats?

Iverson raised an eyebrow. "Our investigation found no racial ties, Commander." Iverson bit out. "It was a mixup, one that will make the nurse lose her job and license due to the status of the victim. Medical malpractice like I said earlier. Taking notes from Kogane and no longer listening to your CO's?" he asked, eyes narrowing on Shiro.

Shiro didn't register the threat. "Sir, I  _ heard _ her say that she targeted the Cadet due to his mixed heritage. So did Cadet McClain. I'll swear to it in court, on my commission," he argued.

* * *

"I could say the same to you," Lance said fondly, leaning down to press a kiss to Keith's forehead, then his nose, his cheeks and finally a short peck to his lips.

Keith smiled almost sadly into the kiss, breaking away moments later to let his forehead rest gingerly against Lance's chest. "You deserve better," Keith said. "You both...shower me in affection, in-in love, and I want more. I shouldn't, but I do." Keith clenched his eyes shut. "I should be happy with what I’ve got."

* * *

"Commander, when did you see the nurse?" Iverson said through gritted teeth. "You nor Cadet McClain had clearance to go down there!" He shouted. "And none of what you heard matters because it can't be used in court. Nurse Laogai messed up, gave Kogane the wrong drug. I don't know what  _ lies _ Kogane has been feeding you but we don't harbor racists in our ranks, Commander!"

"Direct testimony that can be corroborated by multiple individuals can't be used in court?" Shiro pointed out, voice starting to raise. "And clearly we  _ do _ harbor some, because he's been getting threats for months and this event happened! You may not be interested in protecting all of my Paladins, but I am!" He realized he may be making a mistake, picking the wrong hill to fall on, but he couldn't really find it in himself to care right now. Iverson was going to cover it up when he had evidence of what it really was.

* * *

Lance couldn't help the excited grin that formed on his face. Keith couldn't see him right now anyway, with his head pressed to his chest. He swallowed it down anyway, just in case, and tried to keep his voice steady, serious. "You want more?"

Keith clenched his eyes shut but it appeared that he practically forced himself to nod. He did want more affection from both Lance and Shiro. He wanted them to wrap him in their arms. Play with his hair. Kiss him absentmindedly. He wanted the affection that came second nature.

* * *

"You will keep your voice down, Commander!" Iverson ordered, eyes narrowed on Shiro. "And you would want us to use what she said while you and Cadet McClain assaulted her?" Iverson hissed. "That is a testimony brought to us from torture. And the claims of racism from Kogane? They're pranks and harmless actions from Cadets. They have been investigated. Just because Kogane stumbled his way to becoming a Paladin and a  _ Blade _ doesn't mean he gets special treatment, Commander."

Shiro felt like he'd had a bucket of ice water dumped on him.  _ Assault. Torture.  _ Fuck, Iverson was right. Them going down there meant that unless they wanted to go down too, there was no way to nail her for what she'd actually done. He looked up at Iverson, eyes wide.  _ We fucked up. We fucked up so badly. _ He didn't ever want to be back in this position, but here he was. And he'd dragged the men he loved here with him.

Shiro swallowed hard. "I...don't want special treatment for him. Can I see the reports that determined the incidents were pranking and not hazing?" Fuck, this  _ had _ been distorting how he saw the world, hadn't it?  _ Shit. _

* * *

"Done," Lance said softly, smiling. Keith hadn't looked like he really wanted to admit that, but if he wanted more? Who was Lance to tell him no? He loved giving affection and apparently, Keith loved getting it, even more than the purrs had led him to believe. This was definitely something Lance could do, could help with and he was happy to do it.

Lance carefully slid his left arm behind Keith as he lowered himself back onto the bed, and bent it at the elbow, allowing him to draw little circles on Keith's arm with his fingers. His other hand was still holding Keith's and he brought it to his lips again, placing a kiss against his knuckles before rearranging their hands so they could twine their fingers together between them. He ran his thumb lightly over the side of Keith's hand as he leaned down to place another kiss to Keith's crown. "Promise you'll let me know if I  _ ever _ get to be too much, okay?"

Keith peered up from Lance's chest as he felt the soft kisses. An eye was exposed and a blush was painting his cheeks. "You don't have..." Keith started before sighing. He didn't want them to force themselves to pour affection on him. "I will if you will." He settled on. 

* * *

"The records are public and can not be changed," Iverson replied coldly. "Nothing can be changed. The instances were investigated and there hasn't been a new instance in over 5 months. Obviously they stopped. Not everything Kogane tells you is true, Commander." Iverson stated.

Shiro looked confused. "But the firecracker incident...it happened a month ago. Surely that can be connected..."

* * *

"Deal," he said, smiling. He was going to make a point to try to always be in contact with Keith. He didn't care if people saw him as clingy. Most people probably already assumed he was.

Keith nodded, turning his head to rebury it into Lance's chest. "Sorry," he whispered. He didn't understand why he was apologizing but he just felt like he should. Maybe because he was asking more of Lance's time and attention, time and attention that he should be using to foster his new relationship with Shiro.

* * *

Iverson raised an eyebrow slightly. "Kogane hasn't reported anything in the past 5 months." He repeated. "The boy was probably trying to get sympathy from you. Knowing Kogane he most likely provoked them and deserved what they did to him."

Shiro's gaze snapped up at that. "Nobody deserves pranking or hazing, sir. I don't care how much you dislike him, that is still true in all cases." He wasn't sure what to believe. He still wanted to pull up the reports, maybe talk to Sam to have someone with an outside perspective weigh in.

"The incidents weren't as severe as Kogane was reporting but we put an end to it. The Garrison doesn't allow bullying, Commander, but we also can't stop children from being children. No harm was done and it was settled," Iverson stated. "This relationship is clouding your decision, has been since you found the damn boy." Iverson crossed his arms and practically stared down Shiro. "Some of the other Commanders and myself included wonder if perhaps Kogane would be...of better use with the Blades."

Shiro frowned. "Sir, he's a Paladin. We can't just ground him. The nature of the lions makes it so they choose their pilot." Another thing Iverson likely wouldn't be able to understand - he had always mocked mysticism and anything but concrete fact, and the lions were anything but rational.

Iverson shook his head. "I'm sure the  _ lions _ can find another pilot," he said almost mockingly before sighing. "When are you going to give up, Shirogane? I understand. He was a charity case, you did it. You got him into the Garrison. Enough is enough."

* * *

Lance just shook his head and held Keith closer, almost squishing their hands between their chests. "Love you."

Keith chirped softly, nuzzling into Lance's chest. "Love you too." He squeezed Lance's hand.

* * *

Shiro looked confused before shaking his head. "Sir, I'm not sure it's anything you'll understand," he said honestly. "But I made a promise to him, and I'm not going back on my word." Shiro knew he was looking to pick a fight. Why wouldn't he just leave already?

Iverson pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated that his message apparently wasn't getting through. "You're an outstanding pilot, Shirogane, even when you had your disease but it seems like you got rid of one to get another. He's got good reflexes, I'll give the boy that, but his attitude is going to get you and the rest of the team killed. There's a reason why a lot of the Commanders didn't want him back in the Garrison. When are you going to understand that?" Iverson pressed. Shiro was one of his best students and to see him being taken down by an immature boy with an attitude problem was irritating him.

Shiro looked a little exasperated. "Sir, Keith's successes are what paved the way for the MFE pilots' easy success in the last mission. He was a discipline case when he was younger, but so was I. We've both grown up. You of all people should understand why I want him to succeed." Iverson had dealt with Shiro's discipline issues and helped him to become the leader he was today. It was frustrating that he couldn't see the correlation.

"You don't have a whole other set of instincts telling you to take over planets!" Iverson finally snapped. "His problems aren't from childhood rebellion but from this barbaric species that we know nothing about!"

Shiro's eyes hardened. "We know about the Galra. Enough to know it's the Empire that wants to take over the universe, not everyone," he said coldly. "I was in their prisons, my arm controlled me to the point where I understood what Honerva, an Altean, wanted to do to the universe. Painting with a broad brush because you think Galran  _ genetics _ are to blame is as equal a crime as Laogai's racism." Fuck, this was way over his head. This was halfway treasonous. He would never be able to make him see. Shiro just hoped he'd be able to make it to Sam to tell him what happened before he was thrown in the brig and court martialed.

Iverson narrowed his eyes. "The nurse made a mistake. She thought she was hanging morphine." Iverson bit out. "And watch your tone, Commander. You know Kogane is prone to anger, we just finally have a reason for it."

Shiro was still a little shaken. "Then why not go through formal discipline hearings and discharge him?"

Iverson's hands curled into fists. "Because he has enough high ranking officials, you included, to keep him here. Add on his status and public image, I can't." He gritted out. "But mark my words, Shirogane, he is being watched. He has no place here and he knows it. I want him back on light duty the moment he can stand." He hissed before turning and leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

Shiro stared at the door for a moment before he started shaking, fine tremors in his human hand. It wasn't about going back to work - that was understandable, expected even. But having an enemy like Admiral Iverson...he couldn't do this alone anymore.

Shiro reached for the phone. "Hello? Please connect me to Admiral Holt's office."

Sam was reading reports when the phone went off. His brows furrowed slightly in confusion. He wasn't expecting any phone calls. "Admiral Holt," he answered.

Shiro let out a sigh of relief. He didn't know he'd been holding his breath. "Sam, it's Shiro. We have a problem," he started. "Your line is secure, right?"

* * *

Keith turned his head so his cheek was pillowed on Lance's chest. "Is there, I mean, I'm not perfect," Keith frowned wishing the words would just come out. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. "Is there anything  _ you _ want?"

* * *

"Yes, of course. What's wrong, son? Are the boys okay?" Sam asked, a thrum of fear coursing through him.

Shiro let himself sag a little into the chair. Something about Sam always calmed him down. "They're fine. Under guard in the hospital wing. How much do you know about the investigation against the nurse that poisoned Keith?" He didn't want to call it racism from the start and lead the conversation, but hopefully they were on the same page already.

* * *

Lance, of course, knew what Keith was really asking, but couldn't help what came out next. "I mean, I wouldn’t say no to some pasta right now," he mused, feigning obliviousness.

Keith slowly looked up, a deadpan expression on his face. "You're cute," Keith muttered, resting his cheek back on Lance's chest. He wouldn't tell Lance but he was thankful for the humor. Made this easier. 

* * *

Sam was confused. What did the investigation have to do with anything? "I'm not allowed to do anything too official with it due to Pidge being on your team but from what I heard from Iverson they're labeling it as a medical mistake and charging her with malpractice although it sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. Why? What's going on, Shiro?"

Shiro took a deep breath and reminded himself that he trusted Sam. "It was a conscious decision. When she was arrested she had a lethal dose of fentanyl in her pocket. I heard her ranting about how it was because Keith was Galran, but I can't testify with the information." He hated himself for losing his cool then, making it so they couldn't use the testimony. "And Iverson is covering it up because he also believes Galrans are bloodthirsty monsters.” He was actually shaking now, hand gripping the chair tightly to try and stop it.

Sam's body tensed. He knew Iverson hated Keith.  _ Everyone _ knew Iverson hated Keith but they figured it was because Keith partially blinded him. He also felt like this was something that shouldn't be talked about over the phone. "I'm coming to your office," he said before hanging up and heading out.

Shiro wanted to protest, tell him he didn't have to, but by the time he got the words together the line was dead. He made it a minute or so before he was reaching for the trash can under the desk, retching into it until he was sure there was absolutely nothing left in his system.

Sam reached Shiro's door after a few minutes, a cadet delaying him with a few questions. He knocked on the door and waited, not wanting to barge in.

Shiro groaned a little. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this, but he didn't have much of a choice. He spit into the trash can a couple of times to try and clear his mouth out. "Come in," he called, voice a little hoarse as he reached down to tie off the bag and hopefully staunch most of the scent.

Sam opened the door and frowned when he took in Shiro's appearance. "You okay?" Sam asked, concerned. Whatever happened with Iverson couldn't have been  _ that _ bad, right?

Shiro wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. "Apparently Keith's on Iverson's blacklist, and you and I are two of the biggest reasons why he can't just discharge him outright," he deadpanned. "And the racist nurse isn't racist, just prone to mistakes." He put the trash bag in another, tied it off again, and sat back in his seat. He gestured to the ones in front of his desk that Sam could sit in if he wanted.

Sam sat down slowly, mentally going over what Shiro said. "Wait, slow down," Sam said. "First, bring me up to speed about the nurse. What is that about?"

* * *

"Thanks," Lance smiled. "But in all seriousness, just...be here? With me? Whenever you can. That's all I want."

Keith blinked. "That's it? That can't be..." he had to be fucking up somewhere. He wasn't perfect.

* * *

Shiro shut his eyes. "Keith was admitted to the hospital after being tortured. He was receiving adequate care until the doctor disclosed his mixed heritage to Nurse Laogai, which she confirmed with me. I didn't think anything of it when Keith started getting worse, I thought it was trauma...until he started throwing up blood and we found out she'd been giving him fentanyl instead of morphine, and it's poison for Galrans." He paused for breath. "She was arrested with a syringe of it in her pocket, said she was coming back to finish the job. Lance confronted her in the brig, I..." he paused again. "I whited out, Lance pulled me out of it before I killed her. She was yelling about how he'd be better off dead, how disgusting it was we were dating him..."

Sam held up a hand. "Wait, you and Lance went to go see the nurse? And she..." Sam shook his head in amazement. "I knew there was some displeasure with the Galrans coming on board but I thought we were calming them down."

Shiro looked embarrassed. "I wasn't going to, but Lance did. The guards called me to get him out and I just... lost it," he confessed. He was terrified of that part of him, but mincing words wasn't going to fix this. He didn't think Sam would judge him too harshly.

"I mean, if she purposely tried to harm Keith, I can understand your anger, Shiro. While not exactly right, I can understand wanting to defend your lover," Sam said. "What did she say? What makes you think this wasn't a mistake exactly."

Shiro tried to recall her exact words. "'He doesn't deserve to live,' 'he's ruined both of you,'" he started. "Said he deserved to die suffering in the worst pain, choking on his own blood. That she should have been allowed to inject it and finish the job." He swallowed hard, wanting to throw up again.

"Sorey was there for her arrest," he supplemented. "If you need an impartial witness."

* * *

"That's it," Lance stated again. "Just you. As you are. I mean, I couldn't ask for anything else. You just asked me for more of me, right? So that's all I'm asking for. For as much of you as you're willing to give me."

Keith frowned. He didn't think of it that way. In some way, he guessed he asked for more Lance. More of Lance's time. Attention. Everything. Keith closed his eyes. "When you put it that way, I guess that's okay," Keith answered quietly. "And you should get some food. Don't go hungry because of me."

* * *

Sam felt like he swallowed stones. He ran a hand over his face.  _ So much hatred _ he thought. "We need more than that if we're going up against Iverson and his crew." Sam looked up at Shiro. "Would Keith be willing to see her? See if he can provoke a reaction and get it documented?"

Shiro paled. "I don't know if that's a good idea. He's on oxygen still, can't walk more than a few feet, and he's..." Did he want to say that he was very self-deprecating, thought they'd be better off without him? "I'm afraid it'd hurt him more than help, even if he wants to."

Sam frowned. "Oxygen? I know Pidge had to help formulate a cure but...I wasn't under the impression it was that bad, Shiro," Sam said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't check in sooner. How are you and Lance holding up?"

* * *

Lance's heart fluttered. He had seemingly successfully eased one of Keith's fears. He felt a little giddy. "I will in a bit," he said vaguely. He didn't want to leave Keith alone and he was honestly super comfortable right now.

Keith rolled his eyes but knew he couldn't exactly push Lance out of bed right now. He licked his lips before glancing upward. "Can you...rub my stomach again?" Keith whispered, his eyes quickly falling back to look at Lance's shirt. "Just keep talking to me so I don't fall asleep, maybe?"

* * *

Shiro sighed a little. "We're doing okay, for the most part. Worried, but we know he'll recover eventually." He felt exhausted, like all the energy had been sapped from him. "You had more important things, Sam. We understand."

"Nothing is more important than my family, Shiro," Sam stated. "Now, what did Iverson do?" he prompted.

On to the worst part. "Dr. Sorey put me on light duty to facilitate Keith's healing. Iverson objected, and just stormed in demanding to know why Keith was going to be out for six months and why the Blades were conducting an independent investigation into the incident." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I said we should launch a joint investigation to appease them, which he refused as ours was almost complete and it was ruled accidental. Laogai didn't mean to give him fentanyl, it was a mix-up. When I told him what I heard, he told me it wouldn't hold up because I'd..." He fought past it. "Because I'd tortured her and the testimony was gained under duress. Told me Keith was lying to gain favor with us and that Galrans were bloodthirsty warmongers whose desire to overtake planets was in their DNA."

Sam's eyes widened as Shiro continued his tale. "So, Iverson's hatred for Keith is deeper than their altercation while we were captured," Sam mused, running a hand through his hair. "And if the Blades are doing their own investigation I can understand his worry. They might uncover things that Iverson doesn't want to be uncovered." 

* * *

Lance looked down at Keith and smiled. "Sure thing, sweetheart," he said, unclasping their hands and gently rolling Keith back onto his back before sliding his hand under Keith's hoodie and shirt again and resumed the clockwise circles. "What would you like to talk about?"

Keith purred softly as Lance started to massage his stomach once more. "Anything. Your family?"

* * *

Shiro nodded. That was likely a paramount concern. "He said Keith was worse for me than my MD. At least I had a decent head on my shoulders when I was sick, but now..." he ran a hand down his face. "Sam, I can't do anything. He's got more power than I do."

"Anyone with eyes can see how Keith makes you happy. Makes Lance happy," Sam reassured. "And Iverson isn't invincible. Was this the first time Iverson has confronted you about Keith or your relationship with him?"

Shiro shook his head. "We had it out when the imprinting first came out. Wasn't going to give us spousal rights until Krolia and Kolivan threatened to pull out of the alliance."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "They threatened...wow. I know Krolia is Keith's mom but I didn't expect Kolivan to threaten something like that."

* * *

Lance nodded and launched into one of the many stories of his youth. "Did I ever tell you about the time Marco tried to teach me how to surf?"

Keith's brow furrowed. "You know how to surf?"

"Yeah, I'm not too shabby either." Lance winked. "Kind of hard not to learn ocean sports when you live basically on the ocean.”

"Sounds nice," Keith muttered. "Growing up on the beach...in one spot...Sorry, Marco, surfing," he said, looking up at Lance.

* * *

Shiro chuckled a little mirthlessly. "Apparently the Blades all think of Keith like he's one of their children. They're very family-oriented and don't take kindly to Iverson's brand of fuckwittery."

Sam smiled a bit. "He does have that way with some people and Galrans are very family, or pack, driven. It’s probably why Keith latched onto you so quickly, poor boy never had a stable family unit growing up."

Shiro nodded, not sure what else to say.

Sam sighed. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Shiro shrugged. "He expects Keith back on light duty as soon as he can stand," he supplemented. "I'm sorry to bring you into this, Sam. I just didn't know what to do."

"Don't be sorry, son. You're my family as much as Matt or Pidge are, same with the others," Sam reassured, "and that is ludicrous and the medical team won't allow it and we can't go against them. Keith will be given the time to heal, Iverson be damned."

Shiro sagged a little in relief. It was good knowing Sam had his back, had called him family. That gave him some strength to push onward. "So what do we do about the investigation?" They couldn't let Laogai go.

"Unless we can get more evidence that we can use in court, I'm not sure there's much we can do unfortunately." Sam admitted with a frown.

Shiro was quiet for a minute. "Like if Keith went in and baited her?" he asked, unsure.

Sam winced but nodded. "It might be the only way, Shiro."

"And you and Lance might not be able to go in. We can't have anything tainting what we get."

Shiro wanted to object. He wasn't sure Keith could handle it alone. "...if someone else goes in with him," he agreed. "He's not going in alone."

"You can go in with him but can't be seen by the nurse. We can put her in an interrogation room and Keith can go in. She would be handcuffed and secured before he steps foot in there and you and Lance can be behind the one way window," Sam reassured. "But Keith is a tough cookie, Shiro. I'm sure he would be fine."

Shiro felt defeated. "I want to ask him," he murmured. "It's his decision. But Lance and I told him no at first, so I'm sure he'll want to."

"Of course, Shiro," Sam said before standing. "Let me know the answer, I'll set it up and," he looked at Shiro as he headed out, "I'm dismissing you for the day. Go be with your boyfriend." Sam smiled. "That's an order," he said before shutting the door.

Shiro watched as Sam walked out the door, a smile on the other man’s face. He didn't know what to say. He settled for burying his face in his hands for a minute, muffling his frustrated yells and cries before he logged off of the computer and headed out toward the hospital wing.

* * *

"It was," Lance agreed. "But yeah, so we went out and Marco was dead set on being the one to teach me even though Veronica was actually the best at it. He had just learned the year before and was like, jumping, at the chance to teach somebody else and I was next so," Lance laughed as he recalled the day. "We took our bikes a mile or so down to the beach and got the boards out of our shed and he gets all serious, trying to teach me the correct way to balance and everything. Keyword 'trying' because he looked like an idiot and wasn't explaining anything in any way I could understand, but I nodded along anyway 'cause I wanted to get out in the water. So I pretended to pay attention, which I know what you're thinking and the story doesn't quite end how you're thinking it will. So anyway, finally after about a half an hour of him rambling on, we swim out into the water and sit on our boards waiting for the bigger waves. Finally, one comes along and we start paddling, right? And my hearts pounding. I'm nervous, I'm excited. And we finally get near the top and I'm standing and it's  _ amazing _ and I did that thing, you know where you reach out and stick your hand in the water next to you and I felt like I was  _ flying _ , you know before I actually knew what that felt like." Lance chuckled again. "And then all of a sudden I hear this screeching sound coming from right behind me and I turn to look and there's Marco,  _ flailing _ . I started laughing so hard that I fell off my board and it hit me in the face, almost took my eye out. That's where I got this tiny scar right below my right eyebrow. And then Marco hit me with his board after I told him Veronica had already taught me the basics."

Keith listened to Lance's story with a fond smile. It sounded wholesome and nice. He chuckled when he finished it, looking up at Lance with a fond expression. "Sounds like a nice time though, minus being hit with the board," Keith said. He reached up and lightly touched the scar that was mentioned. It was barely noticeable. He leaned up, dislodging Lance's hand slightly and pressed his lips to it before settling back down. "Better late than never," he mumbled.

"Thanks," Lance said, blushing slightly. He cleared his throat. "Do you...would you like me to teach you sometime?"

"You would?" Keith asked, looking up.

"Of course! I'd love to!" Lance said excitedly. "You've got good balance, I think you'd be amazing at it."

Keith smiled and nuzzled into Lance's chest again. "Just don't let a shark eat me."

"I'm sure you could take it." Lance laughed.

* * *

Shiro walked back down the hallway, seeing Harrison and Humphries still guarding the door. "You guys off soon?" he asked.

Harrison shrugged. "Couple more hours. We'll make sure you get someone good for relief." 

Shiro nodded gratefully. "Thanks guys," he said as he knocked on the door and then entered. His heart lightened considerably as he saw the two of them laying down, seeming to be pretty calm. "Hey," he greeted, voice a little tired.

"Hey Shiro!" Lance called, giving his boyfriend a wide smile. He looked a little worse for wear. Was the situation on the bridge that bad?

Keith turned, eyes widening, "Takashi? You're back?" Keith said, almost as if in awe before it dimmed when he took in Shiro's haggard look. "You okay?"

Shiro kicked off his shoes and shucked his jacket, laying it on the chair before kissing each of them on the head. He'd forgotten to brush his teeth - he grabbed for a water pouch and downed half of it instead. "Sam let me go early," he deflected, not really a lie as he sat on the edge of the bed. He really just wanted to cuddle with both of them and fall asleep.

Keith glanced up at Lance before slowly sitting up, wary of his rib. He reached out and placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "'Kashi?"

Lance let Keith sit up, letting his hand fall out from Keith's shirts as he turned slightly in the bed to see Shiro better.

Shiro turned, looking at Keith. He gave him a tired smile. "Just, a lot of stuff to catch up on," he explained. "Can we cuddle? All of us?"

"As long as I can keep wearing your hoodie and we get a kiss," Keith said with a small smile.

Shiro winced a little. "Uh, not the best idea," he dodged. He didn't really want to tell them that he'd thrown up. "Trust me."

Keith tilted his head slightly, confused. "Takashi...what happened?" He asked quietly. Shiro never turned down kisses.

Lance let his confusion run rampant with his face.

Shiro sighed a little to himself. "My uh, stomach got the best of me, and I didn't stop by the room to brush my teeth," he explained. Now that he said it, he felt a little embarrassed.

Keith frowned. "Are you okay? Did you need to see Sorey?" Keith asked, worried.

Shiro shook his head, scooting up on the bed more. "No, no. I'll be fine." Besides, it had been more nerves than bug.

"You sure? There's a button right there that will literally call him for us. You don't even have to move." 

Shiro shook his head again, adamant. "Guys, it's not something he can fix. I'll be fine." He'd just ask Mila for a toothbrush when she came in, and that would be the end of it.

Keith looked at Shiro, obviously not buying it but backing off. He smiled a bit from Lance's words only to frown at Shiro's. "If you're sure," Keith whispered. "Just...take care of yourself?"

Shiro looked at Keith, thinking it over.  _ I'm being an ass, _ he thought finally with a sigh. "A second opinion wouldn't hurt," he murmured. At the very least he could ask for a toothbrush. "If it will help you two not to worry."

Lance smiled discreetly and leaned over to push the button.  _ Go Keith _ .

Feeling Lance move on the bed, Keith glanced at his other boyfriend, smiling fondly when he saw the Cuban push the help button.

Shiro leaned over to take Keith's hand, raising it up to press a kiss to his knuckles. "You already know how to play me like a fiddle," he accused.

Keith smiled, blushing slightly. "Just want my boys healthy and happy," he said quietly.

"Likewise," Shiro murmured and pressed another kiss.

The door eased open, Mila's head poking in. "Well, Keith is seemingly not in distress," she said walking into the room fully. "And all the monitors are good so...Lance what did you do?"

Lance raised a hand in exasperation. "Why is it always me?! Just because it's true 90% of the time, doesn't mean it is the other 10%! Actually, now it is me. Mila, I've been attacked and my heart hurts."

Shiro looked between the two of them, not sure he had the emotional capacity to react right now. He squeezed Keith's hand.

Keith smiled at Shiro as he pressed another kiss to his hand before sending Mila a small smile only for it to fall into something more akin to a deadpan expression and he turned and looked at Lance. He raised an eyebrow at the dramatic Cuban. "Lowballing it a bit there? 90% really?"

Mila snorted, covering his mouth with her hand.

Lance narrowed his eyes at Keith in mock irritation. "You're lucky I like you, other 10%."

Keith chuckled before gingerly leaning down and pressing his lips briefly against Lance's in apology.

Mila rolled her eyes at the two, used to their sappiness, although usually it was the other way around but it was nice to see Keith giving affection even if it was probably due to the painkillers but she was sure Lance wasn't complaining. "So, what  _ was _ I called in for?"

Lance smiled into the kiss, then looked at Mila when she spoke again, before finally turning his gaze to Shiro. "Shiro doesn't feel well."

Shiro looked down at his hands. "I wasn't earlier," he argued half-heartedly.

Mila turned to look at Shiro, starting to make her way over. "What's wrong, Commander?"

Keith swallowed and watched as Mila made her way to Shiro, hoping he was okay.

Shiro looked up. "Sweating, vomiting, nausea, shakiness," he listed off like he was reciting a recipe. He hated examinations.

Lance blinked, worry clouding his expression.

Keith frowned, heart clenching. What was wrong with Shiro? Subconsciously, he curled into the hoodie. 

Mila frowned and took her stethoscope off her neck. "Were you feeling this before or..." she asked, getting ready to hear Shiro's heart and breathing.

Shiro shook his head. "Just since I went back to work," he responded, voice still quiet. He shut his eyes as he braced himself.

Mila blinked at that information, confused, while Keith's frown deepened. "Did something happen when you got back?" Keith asked quietly. He swore Shiro was fine when he left.

Shiro stayed silent, wishing he didn't have to answer. He finally gave a small nod, eyes still shut. "But I'd like to make sure I'm not sick anyways," he murmured. "Keith can't take any risks."

Lance looked from Shiro to Keith to Shiro before laying a hand gently on his arm. "Shiro, what happened?" he asked softly.

Keith's heart clenched. What happened? He knew it had to be related to him but what?

Mila nodded. "Questions can be answered after the exam. The Commander is right, Keith can't afford to be exposed to any viruses right now," she said regrettably. She wanted them to speak but also knew it should probably be done in private. "Can I listen to your breathing, sir?"

Shiro nodded again, eyes still shut.

"I'll make this quick," she reassured and she did. She quickly got Shiro's basic vitals and a few moments later, took a step back. "You don't show any signs of an illness so I'm chalking it up to stress but keep an eye on it. If it lingers, get me or Sorey and we'll test farther, okay?" she said. "I'll head out so you boys can talk," she said before heading out.

Shiro grabbed Mila's hand with his right before she moved away. "If you can bring me a toothbrush, I'd appreciate it," he said quietly before he released her hand.

"There's spares for all of you in the bathroom," she said with a wink before heading out.

Keith was relieved when he heard that Shiro wasn't sick but that also just solidified that something happened when he went back to work. He lightly placed a hand on Shiro's back. "Let's get settled then you can tell us, okay?" Keith softly suggested. "Lance, can you get him some water or do I have any tea left over he can have?"

"I can get water," Lance said, sitting up so he could scoot off the bed. He wandered over to the little table that was originally in between the beds and grabbed a water packet before crawling back onto the bed and handing it over. He stayed seated this time, legs folded under him as he watched Shiro get situated.

Shiro chuckled to himself. Of course. He accepted the water packet with a small smile. "You two stay comfortable. I'll be right back." He pushed himself off the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, brushing his teeth quickly before coming back and situating himself between them against the pillows. He held his arms out for one or both of them to cuddle against him, a silent request.

Keith situated himself, laying on his right side and curling into Shiro, cheek resting on his chest, the side of the hood pillowing it. He rested a sleeve covered hand over Shiro's heartbeat, comforted by the feeling.

Once Shiro opened his arms, Lance wasted no time moving in, seeing Keith do the same on Shiro's other side. He snuggled close, careful not to squish his cast between their ribs, and wrapped his other arm over Shiro's waist, laying his head just next to Shiro's shoulder on his chest.

Shiro hummed, pleased. He wrapped his arms around Keith and Lance to gently tug him closer. "Morphine wear off yet, babe?" Once he'd been done being scared, Keith had been adorable with his filter down.

"Not really," Keith whispered. "Better than pain though," he answered. "But also be happy when my emotions aren't all over the place." He sighed before looking up at Shiro through his bangs. "You okay, though?"

Lance reached over to brush Keith's bangs out of his eyes before returning his hand to Shiro's waist and looking up at him. He stayed silent though, waiting for an answer.

Shiro swallowed, looking down at the two men he loved so much. "...Laogai isn't going down for attempted murder," he started. "And Iverson is backing her up unless we get some damn good evidence or a confession."

Lance shot up, looking down at Shiro. "What?!"

Keith felt like ice water was poured on him. His eyes falling to stare in front of him, eyes slightly glazed over.  _ Did I really expect her to get in trouble, _ he thought,  _ who cares what happens to me. _

Shiro looked down to Keith, worried when he started staring off into space. "I confronted Iverson," he murmured. "And he's not an ally, not that we doubted that before. Sam says we need something damning, on the record, and free of Lance or I to make any charges stick." He looked at his younger boyfriend, communicating his regret with his eyes. They'd gotten their own testimony thrown out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Suicidal Themes

Lance narrowed his eyes in angry confusion. Why was Shiro looking at him like that? Liked he'd fucked up? "Shiro, what are you talking about? What did we-" Lance's face contorted into shock as pieces of information clicked. " _ Dios mio _ ," he whispered.  _ I did this. It's my fault. If I hadn't- _ Lance brought his hands up to cover his face. "I'm so sorry, Keith."

#####  Hearing Lance's words, Keith blinked, coming out of his mind before shaking his head morosely. "Even if you two didn't, Iverson would still be trying to throw it out," he said softly. "Probably wishes she succeeded."

Shiro frowned. "But she didn't," he insisted. "And he's going to have to deal with that. No matter what, we need to keep our noses clean from now on," he iterated as he held Keith close. "And Sam has an idea that I know neither Lance or I are going to like."

Lance lowered his hands to look at Shiro. He was almost tempted to cover his ears. If Shiro said he wouldn’t like it, he wouldn’t like it.

Shiro took a deep breath. "Keith, do you remember when you said you wanted to talk to Laogai, face to face?"

Lance paled.

Keith nodded, quickly piecing everything together. "I need to get her to confess."

Lance shook his head. "What? No. Shiro, you can't be serious."

Shiro looked at Lance. "It's the only way out," he murmured. "Admiral Holt assured me we can be on the other side of the glass and she'll be restrained."

Keith closed his eyes. "Looks like I'm getting my answers," Keith whispered, hand curling into a fist within the sleeve.

"You want him to go in  _ alone _ ? No! We discussed this already. If,  _ if _ Keith were to meet her, we would both be right there with him, where I could take him out of there if she started spouting that same stupid bullshit again," Lance growled angrily.

"That was before you ran into her cell with your bayard and shot her!" Shiro snapped. "And before I threw her against the wall. Like it or not, we need her to say that bullshit to Keith's face so we can get a conviction," he pointed out. "So she doesn't walk free. So we send a message that  _ this is not acceptable. _ "

Keith flinched at the sound of the two of them arguing, the young man burrowing a bit deeper into Shiro's hoodie not sure how to diffuse the situation.

Lance's mouth snapped shut and he looked away, worrying his jaw as he fought the tears threatening to well up. Shiro was right. This was Lance's fault. If he'd never gone down there, they wouldn't have to do this this way. Lance put Keith in this position, because he was selfish. He hadn't thought about how it would affect the trial. He'd just been trying to get his own answers. 

Lance looked down at his lap and stared at his hands. He knew Keith was mad at him for it, and Shiro was too. And now apparently it was even worse than that. He wished he could disappear.

Shiro looked up at Lance, seeing him staring at his hands. He fucked up again, hadn't he. "Lance. However you took it, I didn't mean it that way. I was right there with you, this is my fault."

"You were only there because of me," Lance stated quietly.

"I was there to stop you, and I lost my head," Shiro corrected.

Keith laid on Shiro's chest, curled into the hoodie so only his eyes were visible, a million thoughts going through his mind.

"Exactly, Shiro," Lance said, looking up, frustrated anger in his eyes. "You were there to  _ stop _ me. If I hadn't gone, you never would have been there in the first place. Stop trying to make me feel better. This is  _ my _ fault.  _ I _ did this." Lance wanted to stand up, wanted to move away, but there was an entire other bed next to him and the thought of irritatedly scooting across the bed just didn't appeal to him.

Shiro sighed, a small huff of air. "I chose to let the situation get the better of me. I could have taken the higher road," he pointed out. "But I lost my temper too, and I don't blame either of us for it. She tried to kill the person we love. We're soldiers. And this belongs to both of us."

"Stop it. Just stop it!" Lance yelled, tears pricking the backs of his eyes. "Why won't you just blame me? Why are you trying to take responsibility for something I caused?  _ I _ couldn't just leave well enough alone.  _ I _ was angry.  _ I _ wanted answers. If I had never gone down there,  _ you never would have been there _ , Shiro. So stop. Stop...being nice, just...I don't deserve it. So, please." Lance's speech slowed towards the end as more tears gathered in his eyes and his anger gave way to sadness and self-loathing. "Just stop."

Shiro reached out, taking the closest part of Lance's arm he could reach and tugging gently. "You deserve every nice thing," he corrected gently. "Now c'mere." He just wanted to hold Lance as he cried it out, protect him as he let out his frustrations and fears.

Keith's eyes drifted downward as Lance exploded.  _ It’s not your fault, _ he thought. He wanted to say something but his body refused to do anything.  _ It’s my fault, _ he continued mentally,  _ if I said something earlier, got Iverson to believe me… _

Lance's heart hurt. He didn't feel like he deserved good things. At least not right now. Maybe not ever again. He looked down at Shiro's hand on his arm and gently pulled himself from the grip. He needed to get out of there. "I think I'm actually going to go get some food, now that you're here. Turns out I am hungry." Lance forced a short laugh and scooted off the end of the bed. "Can I bring you back anything?" He stared at the door. He couldn't look at them. He was so ashamed.

Keith's eyes shifted towards Lance, a frown appearing on his face as he listened to the Cuban's words. He let out a quiet, sad chirp, wincing as he did. "Sorry," he whispered.

Shiro looked concerned and sad as he watched how Lance couldn't even look at them, staring the door down. He cuddled Keith closer at the sad chirp, wanting to soothe his pain.

Lance shot a quick smile over his shoulder at Keith. "I'll be back soon then," he said, swallowing. He made for the door and stepped into the hall closing it gently behind him. He took a deep breath and gave two more short smiles to the guards before heading down the hallway. 

Lance walked on autopilot, his feet carrying him out of the med bay and towards the galley. His mind was too preoccupied with how much he'd messed up to focus on anything else.

* * *

Shiro nuzzled into the top of Keith's hair. "I think I messed up," he murmured. "Can't get a hold on my emotions today."

Keith shook his head slightly. He didn't know what to say. This whole situation was his fault. It all boiled down to him getting captured on his mission. If he didn't get injured, none of this would've happened.

Shiro wrapped his arms around Keith, cuddling him closer. "Sorry. You two seemed to be comfortable and I barged in with drama," he apologized, voice quiet.

Keith once again shook his head. It needed to be said. Shiro couldn't have kept it all inside, that wasn't fair to him nor could Lance and he live in the dark. There was an internal battle happening and Keith was in the middle of it. 

"Maybe it would be better if I left..." he mumbled, not realizing he was speaking out loud.

Shiro frowned. "Left?" he asked, unsure of what exactly Keith meant.

Keith looked up shocked before swallowing. "It's nothing," Keith whispered.

Shiro tipped Keith's chin up with one hand. " _ Jagiya _ ," he started. "You mean the Garrison or...?"

Keith merely shrugged, not meeting Shiro's eyes. All the possible options seem better.

Shiro didn't know what to say. "If you're unhappy with the Garrison, I won't stop you," he said after a while. "You have to do what's best for you."

Keith nodded even though he didn't mean the Garrison exclusively. Would he even be allowed to stay on the Atlas even if he wasn't a Garrison member? He was a Paladin so that would grant him some perks but he would still be in the Garrison environment. And he couldn't exactly leave Shiro and Lance even if it was for the better. Keith didn't know what to do. If only he hadn’t gotten captured...if only he had died in that cave...all of this would've been prevented.

Shiro sighed a little and tucked Keith's head under his chin, cuddling him. "Let's forget about that for right now," he murmured. "I just want to enjoy some alone time with you. Can we do that?"

Keith let himself be guided into a comfortable position, his body relaxing a bit as Shiro tucked him under his chin. He nodded minutely. "If you're okay," Keith added quietly.

Shiro nodded. "It'll work itself out," he agreed softly. He had to believe it would.

"If you think so," Keith replied, his voice hushed as if he was afraid of speaking at his normal volume.

Shiro nodded. "I know it will," he soothed, dropping another kiss to Keith's hair. "What did you do while I was away?"

"Ate. Cuddled with Lance.," Keith replied in the same quiet tone.

Shiro hummed. "That's good. How much did you manage?"

Keith frowned. "All of it. Didn't realize it at the time. Lance was feeding me." Keith explained quietly.

Shiro smiled. "I'm glad you kept it down. How's your stomach doing?"

"Full," Keith said. It was also slightly queasy and felt just generally horrible but Shiro didn't need to know that.

Shiro hummed. "Makes sense. Let me know if you start feeling strange, I'm sure we can find something to help." Antacids or something.

Keith nodded, falling silent once more.

* * *

Lance wandered into the cafeteria and up to the counter, only looking up when he heard his name.

“Lance?” Pietro asked again. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, I’m um, fine,” he said finally.

Pietro’s eyebrows drew together. He didn’t look fine. “Is everything alright with Keith?”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, he’s getting better. Shiro’s with him now, I just…I was hungry.”

“That’s good.” Pietro hummed. Hungry? Maybe. There was definitely something else going on, but that was Lance’s choice to tell him or not. Maybe somebody else could help. “Go around back, he’s here today.”

Lance nodded again and let his feet drag him to the spare kitchen. He peered inside and saw Hunk standing at one of the counters measuring ingredients. “Hey,” he said softly.

Hunk whipped around, a huge grin on his face. “Hey Lance!” he called, wiping his hands on his apron as he walked over. His gait slowed as he got closer, worry clouding his cheerful expression. “What’s wrong buddy?”

Lance sniffled, feeling himself let go. There was just something about being near his best friend that made him want to spill his guts. “I messed up, Hunk. Big time,” he said, voice wobbling.

“I’m sure whatever it is, it’s not that bad. It’ll all be okay in the end, right?” Hunk replied, trying to ease Lance’s fears. Seeing Lance not really respond to that, he opened his arms. “C’mere,” he said gently.

Lance went immediately and wrapped his arms around Hunks wide torso, burying his head in his shoulder.

“Tell me what happened.”

So Lance did. He explained everything in between bouts of crying and anger. He started with what had happened with Laogai and how bad Keith had gotten (which Hunk knew, but didn’t interrupt). He talked about going to see her after she’d been locked up. Hunk had made a face at that and Lance tried to not let it make him feel even worse. Lance continued the story, not leaving anything out. Hunk had quirked a smile when Lance told him quietly about kissing Shiro and Lance knew under different circumstances, the bigger man would have congratulated him and wrapped him up in another hug, but he stayed silent, waiting for Lance to finish the story. So he did. He finally finished with the argument he’d just had with Shiro that had caused him to leave.

“I just…none of this would have happened if I hadn’t gone down there. Keith wouldn’t have to go and try to get a confession. He wouldn’t have to listen to her stupid racist shit. I told you what she said. That stuff was not kind, Hunk. I don’t want him to have to hear that,” he said sadly. Spilling the whole story had drained him again and he’d cried more during the telling. The tear tracks were dry now, but his eyes were red and itchy.

“Lance, I agree that you shouldn’t have gone down there. It wasn’t your smartest idea, but I understand why you did.” Hunk placed a hand on Lance’s knee. During the story, they’d both moved further into the kitchen and closed the door. Lance had ended up on the counter with Hunk sitting on a bar stool next to him.

Lance looked down at Hunk’s hand and nodded.

“And in all honesty, dude? This would’ve happened anyway it sounds like.”

Lance whipped his gaze up to Hunk’s, confusion written all over his face. “What are you talking about?”

“Well,” Hunk started thoughtfully, “if you hadn’t gone down there, you wouldn’t have known what she said right? No one would have. They still would have charged her with medical malpractice if she didn’t confess. You guys would still have your suspicions. Keith would still have wanted to talk to her and you’d probably be getting your confession the same way. The only difference is this time, you’re more prepared for what is most likely going to come out of her mouth. In a way, maybe you made this easier.”

“Hunk,” Lance scoffed, shaking his head.

“Look, I’m not saying that what you did wasn’t stupid. ‘Cause it was. But maybe it wasn’t all bad. Besides, it’s in the past now anyway. You can only deal with the present.”

“I guess,” Lance said skeptically.

“You’re going to be right there, right? With Shiro on the other side of the glass. You guys can stop the interview whenever and get Keith out of there. You’re not leaving him alone to the wolves, okay? Isn’t that a better option than what you originally were thinking their meeting would be like? Like an old style Mexican standoff in the hallway? It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be, buddy.”

“But-”

“I know. It’s not fair that Keith should have to listen to those things, but I think he’ll be okay, as long as you and Shiro are there right afterward to make sure he knows none of it’s true.”

Lance looked around, trying to find an argument.

“You know I’m right.”

“I-…yeah. Okay.”

Hunk smiled and patted Lance’s knee before standing up and beginning to work with his ingredients again. “So you and Shiro, huh?”

Lance rolled his eyes at Hunk’s tone, but smiled anyway. “Yeah.”

“Congrats, buddy. I know you’ve been wanting to tap that for a while.”

“Hunk!” Lance blushed furiously and swatted at his friend who just laughed and danced away.

Hunk turned back to Lance, only to have his smile falter when he saw the look on his face. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”

“I know.”

“Not even Pidge.”

Lance snorted. “Like they don’t already know.”

“Yeah, I already know.”

Lance and Hunk both jumped and whipped their heads towards the voice. “Pidge?! How long have you been sitting there?”

Pidge just continued munching on the chips in their hands while propped up in the opposite corner of the room from the guys on top of the counter.

“Since you started talking about the nurse. And that really  _ was  _ stupid, Lance.”

“So, the whole time,” Lance stated, ignoring the jab.

“I guess,” they said, shrugging and eating another chip.

“How did you even get in here?” Hunk asked, looking at the closed door.

“Through there,” they said pointing to an open grate on the wall near the floor. “I found out it connects to the engineering department a couple weeks ago when I was exploring.”

Lance just blinked.

“So you’re the one who ate all the peanut butter cookies I made last week!” Hunk exclaimed.

“Guilty,” Pidge replied, picking at something between their teeth.

“You could have just asked, you know,” Hunk huffed, turning back to his mixing.

“You weren’t here, and I was hungry,” they stated simply.

Hunk sighed.

“Pidge, you won’t-I mean-” Lance said, finally snapping out of it. He couldn’t believe he’d just blabbed the whole story without even making sure they were alone first. It could have been somebody else. Someone he didn’t trust to keep their mouths shut.

“Your secret’s safe with me. Although I knew before you said anything. I’ve had the security cameras on this place hacked from day one.”

“That’s…unsurprising,” Lance settled on. “Thank you.”

Pidge just nodded and shoved their chips back in the cabinet. “Alright, back to work,” they said, hopping off the counter. They stopped just before the air duct, before turning and marching over to Lance. They hugged him quickly and muttered. “When is the visitor ban over?”

Lance wrapped his arms around their small frame and suddenly felt horrible. Pidge and Hunk had been really worried and they couldn’t even go see Keith for themselves. “I’ll let them know to let you in.”

Pidge nodded and turned back, crawling into the air duct and placing the grate back before disappearing to engineering presumably.

Hunk continued to work silently.

“You too, buddy. I’m sorry we didn’t think of it sooner. There’s just been a lot going on,” Lance said quietly.

Hunk smiled gently at him. “I understand. We’ve just been worried, that’s all. It’ll be nice to see him in person again.”

Lance nodded.

After a beat of silence, Hunk wiped his hands on his apron again. “You want some food? You can eat while I work.”

Lance nodded and hopped on the counter as Hunk went to the other kitchen.

Hunk returned a short moment later with a pasta dish and some water, placing them in front of where Lance was standing.

Lance shook his head, thinking about his earlier conversation with Keith. “You know me so well it’s almost scary.”

Hunk just smiled.

They chatted for the next twenty minutes or so while Lance ate. Easy conversation that Hunk directed, using it to keep Lance’s mind off the things that were troubling him. Lance appreciated it and let Hunk pick the topics, until he realized how long he’d been gone.

“I should probably get back,” Lance said, turning towards Hunk.

Hunk finished putting his pie in the oven. “Okay, tell Shiro and Keith I said ‘hi’ okay? And that I’ll come visit soon.”

“Will do, buddy,” Lance agreed, stepping forward to let Hunk wrap him in another warm hug.

“You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

“Okay,” Hunk said, stepping back with a smile.

“Bye, Hunk.”

“See you later, Lance.”

Lance waved briefly as he left the room, feeling much better than he had when he’d entered it. Hunk always had a way of calming him down. Keith and Shiro were good at it too, just not in the same way. Hunk didn’t try to placate him. He told the truth and yet somehow still made Lance feel like he wasn’t stupid. Sometimes you just needed someone to tell you, yes you messed up, but that’s okay, just move on.

“Feeling better?” Pietro asked as Lance came around the front.

Lance nodded. “Yeah, and I’d stay to talk but I’ve got to get back.”

Pietro smiled. “Okay, say ‘hi’ to your guys for me.”

Lance blushed slightly and nodded, before heading back to the room. 

\----------------

Shiro was nestled against Keith's hair, dozing slightly. It had been a long day. His eye cracked open as he heard the door, ever vigilant.

Keith's eyes shifted to the door as he heard it open while Kosmo lifted his head, curious as to who was walking in.

Lance stopped before the door, glancing between the two guards who gave him small smiles. They seemed nice. "Um, I'm not sure who's really in charge, but if Pidge and Hunk come by, you can let them in. They shouldn't have to wait any longer," he told them. Lance didn't wait for an answer, just took a deep breath and opened the door.

Harrison and Humphries looked at each other, making eye contact. They both nodded that they agreed the other Paladins should be let in and resumed their watch.

Lance waited until he was in the room with the door closed before he looked up at his boyfriends who were still curled up on the bed. "Hey."

Keith looked at Lance, wanting to give him more than a depressed look but couldn't make the strength to do so. He was happy Lance was back. He would always be happy to see his boyfriends but right now he was also the cause of their distress and pain and that weighed heavily on his conscience.

Shiro gave Lance a small smile. "Hey,  _ principe _ ," he greeted, voice low.

Lance gave Shiro a small sad, apologetic smile before looking at Keith. He looked so unhappy. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have left like I did." He turned his gaze back to Shiro momentarily. "And I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry, Shiro." Then he looked at the floor. He took a deep breath. "And...if you really think that it's the best way to get her to confess, then...I won't fight it." He looked up at Keith. "But I will be right on the other side of that glass every second you're with her, and if you want out, I will get you out."

Shiro nodded at what Lance said. "I yelled at you first. I'm sorry, Lance." Maybe if Shiro hadn't lost his temper, this wouldn't have happened.

Once Kosmo saw that it was Lance, he settled back down and fell asleep. Meanwhile, Keith looked at Lance as the Cuban spoke. "It's okay," he said softly, not sure if he was talking about the apology or talking to the nurse or both.

Lance nodded in response to both of them and stood awkwardly by the door. He'd apologized like he'd wanted to. He wasn't angry anymore. Was still a little sad, a little afraid, but he knew that would pass. He just wanted to be with them right now, but he still felt like something was missing. He just didn't know what it was.

Shiro looked melancholy. "Can you come closer?" he asked quietly. "Think Keith wouldn't mind being closer to you."

Keith glanced at Shiro before looking back at Lance then his eyes drifted towards the adjacent wall. He felt numb. Perhaps it was the morphine wearing off or perhaps it was exasperating his lingering depressive thoughts but all he felt was...he didn't even know anymore.

Lance couldn't help but notice that Shiro had said 'Keith' not 'we'. He tried to ignore the way that it poked at his heart. Lance stepped up to the foot of the bed, but stopped as he felt Keith's dull eyes on him. He watched as they slid right off of him and onto the wall. Something was really wrong. "Keith?"

Keith heard Lance's voice calling his name but couldn't will his body, his eyes, to move through the torrent of thoughts in his head.  _...How bad would I get if I left? Mom just said that others only lasted...does it matter?... _

Shiro looked down, concerned. "Keith?  _ Jagiya _ , are you okay?"

Lance's eyebrows furrowed in concern and he walked around the bed to sit behind Keith. "Hey, can you look at me?" he asked, brushing some bangs away from Keith's face. What was going on? They'd been fine about an hour ago, what was going through his head?

Shiro's words fell on deaf ears as the idea of leaving coursed through Keith's head. It would be simple. He would force himself to stay until the war was over then say he had to go on a Blade mission and...never come back. He would suffer. He was the only one bonded, the other two wouldn't feel any negative reaction. And they would be free of him and able to experience a wholesome relationship without him messing it up. The soft touch made Keith blink rapidly a few times before his eyes languidly shifted over to Lance, slight confusion showing in them.

"Hi there," Lance said, voice and smile soft. "Where did you go?" His eyes traced over Keith's face. He looked a bit confused. Had he somehow fallen asleep with his eyes open? Lance let his fingers follow his eyes as they looked him over, finally returning to his bangs, where he gently smoothed them away from his face over and over. His other hand came to rest lightly on Keith's leg, the fingers of that hand drawing small circles into his skin over the fabric of his pants.

Shiro let out a small huff of air as relief that Lance had been able to bring him back.

Keith shook his head. "It’s not important," he mumbled. And it wasn't. He probably would be killed during the war so it wouldn't even matter. He just had to hold out as long as he could so Shiro and Lance (and the others) had the best chance to make it through then disappear whether it be in death or, by some miracle he lived through the war, by leaving. 

"Did you eat?" he asked, partly because he wanted to make sure Lance was taking care of himself and partly because he hoped to steer the conversation away from him.

Lance didn’t believe him for a second, but there was a time and place and maybe it wasn't now so he let it go. "Yeah, Hunk got me some pasta," he answered, smiling. "He says 'hi' by the way. To both of you. Pidge too. And Pietro. They'll come visit soon."

Keith hummed quietly before his brows furrowed slightly. They wanted to see him? He shook off his shock before looking upward at Shiro. "You need to eat," he mumbled. He might be feeling like shit but the last thing he wanted for his mates to feel the same way or not taking care of themselves because of him.

Lance furrowed his eyebrows. What kind of reaction was that?

Shiro hummed. He was a little hungry, but not ravenous yet. "Wanna stay a bit longer," he deflected.

Keith frowned but settled. "Okay," he said softly. He would've argued but he didn't have it in him.

Lance looked between the two of them, concerned. "Did...something happen? While I was gone?" Surely this couldn't still be from the small fight earlier.

Shiro shook his head. That was part of the problem, he supposed. Shiro didn't know what to say and Keith didn't want to talk, apart from letting it slip that he was considering leaving the Garrison.

Keith blinked in confusion. What did Lance think was wrong? He looked at Lance, brow furrowed before shaking his head. "Why?" he whispered. Was Keith messing up somehow? Did Lance want to lay with Shiro? Was he in the way? Subconsciously, Keith's right hand curled into a fist, thumb worrying the skin on top of his knuckles.

Lance saw the movement on Keith's hand and immediately went for it, taking it into his right hand gently. "Because you both...sorry in advance for this, but it's the only way I can think of to describe it, but you both look like somebody died. And you're doing the thing, sweetheart," Lance explained, squeezing Keith's hand lightly. "If this is because of me, because I yelled and then left, I really am sorry guys. I was just scared and frustrated and I ended up taking it out on you Shiro and...near you, Keith. I didn't mean to bring you both down."

Shiro shook his head. "I took it out on you, too. I'm sorry." Maybe he just needed to sleep it off. He hadn't had a decent rest in days, after all.

Lance shook his head at Shiro and smiled. He didn't blame him for snapping. It was a high stress situation. 

Keith looked down at the hand that Lance was holding. He didn't realize...he licked his lips. "You didn't do anything, Lance. You needed some space. I understand. I just...came to a realization, that's all..." Keith said softly.

Lance waited for Keith to continue, but when he didn't he gently began drawing circles on Keith's leg again with his left hand. "And what was that,  _ cariño _ ?"

Shiro looked down at Keith. "He's considering leaving the Garrison," he said quietly.

Lance glanced between Shiro and Keith. "What do you mean?"

"It would solve all of this," Keith said quietly.

"All of what?" Lance asked, he was still confused and now slightly anxious.

Shiro shook his head. He didn't know either.

"The problems," Keith murmured. "The stress. The chaos." Keith's eyes drifted away from either of his mates, almost feeling like he couldn't look at them. Like he wasn't allowed to.

"We're in the middle of a war, Keith. There's going to be problems, and stress, and chaos. What is you leaving going to do?" Lance asked. He thought maybe he knew what Keith was trying to get at, but he didn't like it and if it was true, he needed to hear it straight from Keith.

"I..." Keith swallowed. "I would wait until after the war...I can't leave while I'm a Paladin..."

"Okay? By then, you would probably have graduated anyway. Leaving the Garrison wouldn't really do anything for you. So what are you really saying?" Lance already knew he didn't want the answer.

Shiro chewed on his lip and hugged Keith a little closer. He didn't want to hear it. He'd done this too many times before. But they needed to.

Keith could feel his hand twitching beneath Lance's hand, wanting to go into the comforting motion. "Leaving the Atlas?" Keith said quietly. "I love you two so much," he added in the same hushed tones.

Shiro frowned. "We love you too," he murmured.

Lance let his own thumb run over the back of Keith's hand. "Then why go? Keith, I don't understand what you're saying," he said quietly.

"I'm ruining your futures by being here," Keith whispered. "Iverson...the other commanders...they didn't want me here and they're making it difficult a-and add all of this...the solution is obvious Lance."

"What, telling them to fuck off?" Lance asked, looking at Keith. "You're not ruining anything. And only a few of them sided with Iverson, who is an asshat, which isn’t new. And I know it sucks, but even if they're making it difficult, you're still acing your classes and anything else they throw at you. You're almost done, it makes no sense to leave. Besides, are you planning on taking us with you? 'Cause if I remember correctly, the imprinting doesn't take very kindly to being separated for long periods of time."  _ I'll play oblivious one last time. _ Lance needed to hear it from his own mouth.  _ Just say it _ , his mind cried angrily.

Keith closed his eyes. He knew. It would be horrible. Once Kolivan knew he was bonded, he disallowed Keith from any long term missions since he had duties as a Paladin and more importantly, the Separation Stress that would appear after two or three weeks would tank his mental health and would drive him to death. "You two have a future here," he said. A career. Each other. It would be fine.

"And you don't?" he said, quietly, calmly, like he was affirming an answer.

Shiro frowned. He wanted to chime in, but Lance seemed to be getting somewhere where Shiro didn't know how to. He settled for holding Keith a little tighter.

Keith opened his eyes and looked at Lance. "Not if it means it ruins yours or Shiro's," he said softly. His eyes were sorrowful and pained as he spoke.

"Who says it will?" Lance couldn't believe that his voice was coming out so calm. Inside, he was screaming, crying. It sounded like Keith was telling him he wanted to leave. Leave them.  _ Break up _ . Which would eventually kill Keith. He wanted to fix it. How did Keith get this low? How could he bring him back out?  _ What do I do? _

"Keith. I don't want a future without you," Shiro murmured. "Never have, never will. And the same goes for Lance, I'm sure of it."

Keith chuckled mirthlessly before slowly sitting up. He ran a shaky hand over his face. It seemed so logical to him. All the problems had a common denominator: Keith. "I'm not like you two. I-I can't see the silver lining o-or the glass half full. Beyond me imprinting on you two and Voltron...my life has never been that way. I-I have to see the realism. If I wasn't a Paladin there would be no way in hell I would be allowed here. My history and my heritage...it would've been too much. I'm too Galran for the humans and I'm too human for the Galrans." Keith chuckled mirthlessly again. "I can't win and I'm tired. I'm. Just. Tired."

"That's why you have us,  _ cariño. _ To point it out for you. And you're right. It sucks. You're half and half, but you know what?" Lance snapped, standing. "Fuck them. Okay? Who cares? You don't fit with them? You make your own god damn place. Fuck knows you're stubborn and hard-headed enough for it. If you hate this goddamn place so much, then quit. You've got a career in the Blades, what do you really need the Garrison for? You could just be here as much as you needed and no more. Or you could quit and stay. Iverson wouldn't be your Commanding Officer anymore. The only people you'd have to answer to would be Shiro and Kolivan. You could tell Iverson to 'fuck off' yourself. There are  _ options _ , Keith. I know you like to think in black and white, but that's why you talk to  _ us _ , because we see in color."

Lance sighed, sadly, sitting back on the bed. "I know you're tired. I know you think that you've somehow 'lost' or whatever, but you haven't. You've been dealt a shitty hand," he acknowledged. "But you're still in the game."

Shiro listened to Lance, eyes a little wide, but he nodded. "Lance has a point. We have quarters for the Blades on the ship. As a Paladin you'd still be welcome on board. If the Garrison isn't working...I don't want to make you suffer by forcing you to be in it." Shiro felt horrible that he'd insisted in the first place. "And we'll always stand with you, no matter what you decide."

Keith looked at Lance. "I would love to tell them fuck off," Keith said back. "I would love to walk up to Iverson and make him lose his other eye but I  _ can't. _ " Keith pressed. "Anything I do to them, they will give right back to you two because they know...they know I don't give a fuck about myself but I would kill myself for you two," he stated. "The Garrison will always be a part of our lives; you two are career men." Keith sighed. "And the last thing I want to do is stand in the way of the things you two worked for. I've apologized to Iverson numerous times. I know I fucked up with him but he's spiteful and his words are reaching other people and now I have racists trying to kill me even though I'm desperately trying to show people that Galrans aren't-aren't warmongers and part of me..." his voice trailed off. "Part of me just wants to be done with it." He looked downward, focused on the blanket that covered his lap. "Part of me wishes I could win this battle and another part of me wishes I died in that cave so you didn't have to go through all of this. So you two didn't find out about the racists that live on board. About how weak I am...how tired I am..."

"That's enough," Lance said. "You may be tired right now, but Keith Kogane is anything but  _ weak _ . And it's about time you started remembering that. You take out fleets of ships before they even see you coming. You take on hoards of sentries alone and come out the other side ready for more. You never used to take shit from  _ anybody _ . And  _ I _ know! I was the one giving it to you! And I'm persistent! Why are you taking it now? Because of me and Shiro? Because of our careers? Our futures? Well, stop. If the Garrison can't accept you I don't want to work for them anyways. There are plenty of other jobs out there for me. And Shiro could get hired anywhere with his resume. Our future is  _ you _ , Keith. Not a job. Not a place. A person.  _ You _ . If you want to leave? We leave.  _ We _ . None of this, Shiro and I stay here crap. I am not better off without you, Keith. Neither is Shiro. You may have imprinted on us? But we  _ chose _ you, before you even told us. We  _ want _ this. We knew what we were signing up for. So, you tell me you're weak? Which I don't believe for a second, but okay. I'll fight for you then. You're tired, I'll carry you. You can't see the bright side? I will find a way to give you the goddamn sun, Keith Kogane. I love you more than anything. Tell me what you need," Lance paused a little to catch his breath. "And I'll do it."

Shiro chuckled a little. "You know, he's right. One hundred percent. I've said before that I'll get a job somewhere else if I need to, and I mean it. But I'm not going to let Iverson force you out if you  _ want _ to stay." He would fight with every ounce of his being to make sure Keith had what he wanted. "As far as dying in that cave...I'm so glad we got there in time. I don't know what I would do without you," he confessed. Even the thought was terrifying.

Keith's eyes widened as he slowly looked up at Lance throughout the Cuban's speech. Tears fell unburdened from his eyes, droppingly off his chin as Lance finished up. His throat tightened as Shiro started, the man's voice only adding fuel to the emotional fire. He couldn't stop the snort nor the head shake as Shiro finished up. "Experience a less problematic life?" He croaked out.

"And what fun would that be?" Lance said, leaning forward to wipe Keith's tears away.

Shiro sighed. "It's not worth it without you," he agreed. "I don't want a life without you."

Keith's eyes widened slightly as he reached forward slightly, a hand hovering over Lance's right side. "Your stitches." He sniffled. He took a few seconds to calm himself before whispering, "Iverson and the others won't be easy. Most of them hated me since I entered the Garrison and all of this...isn't helping."

"They're fine," Lance reassured, using his hand to cover Keith's and place it against his side. "And you know I'm not one to back down from a challenge. We'll get through this. Together."

Shiro nodded. "Those people will always exist. We're here to help each other through it," he informed Keith gently.

Keith sniffled as he felt the slight ridges of the stitches. Beneath his hand was physical evidence of what Lance was willing to go through for him. He nodded at Shiro's words. He knew he had to start welcoming the two into his corner- help him fight the shadows and demons that wanted to drag him into a dark abyss that was only being exacerbated by so many around him. He needed to finally relent to his Galran side and finally allow his mates to do what that side picked them to do: to protect him, give him security, love and affection. All those things went against what he has done since he was eight. All he did was put up more walls. Reinforce them and add more as the old were dented until nothing could get into his heart and soul. Then Voltron happened and everything changed but he only let small things passed. These two...these two were standing outside those walls with sledgehammers and wrecking balls ready to crash them all to the ground. As he looked up into blue eyes, he knew...he knew they were crumbling. Could feel each hit they were delivering. It was freeing knowing he had people fighting for him. It was also petrifying. These two could hurt him so easily and be hurt by him just as but his Galran side picked them for a reason; trusted them for a reason and perhaps it was time for Keith to stop fighting that side. 

He swallowed, tears still trickling out of tired purple eyes and cascading down reddened cheeks. "Can I get a moon with my sun?" he asked hoarsely.

Lance leaned in to kiss Keith's tears away, smiling. He chuckled. "I'll work on it." He leaned his forehead against Keith's, taking a moment to just let the contact ground him in the moment, then he turned a little to look at Shiro, head still touching Keith's. "How about it,  _ mi caballero _ . Wanna help me wrangle the sun and moon?"

Shiro looked confused for a moment before he smiled, small and sincere. "I think we can manage that," he agreed, squeezing Keith lightly in the hug he had on him.

Keith closed his eyes as Lance leaned against his forehead, trying to absorb all the comfort the Cuban was trying to get him, a sniffle coming from him as Shiro gave him a squeeze. He leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips against Lance's cheek. " _ Mi sol, _ " he whispered hoarsely before turning enough to press another kiss to Shiro's cheek. " _ Boku no tsuki, _ " he said in the same tone. 

(My sun/my moon)

Shiro smiled. " _ Ore no hime _ ," he returned as he kissed Keith's hair.

" _ Mi universo _ ," Lance said, pulling them both into a hug. He was glad that was over with. For now at least. He’d had something else up his sleeve but now he could wait like he wanted to.

A blush darkened Keith's red cheeks, but he nuzzled into Lance. "I'm sorry." He sniffled.

Shiro shook his head. Keith had nothing to be sorry for. "You're okay," he said quietly.

Lance squeezed them both closer before letting go. He smiled and nodded at Keith. "Nothing to be sorry for."

Keith gave Lance a remorseful, watery smile. He wished he could do the same to Shiro but didn't feel like turning to do so and it probably wouldn't be good for his back wounds, which had started to throb weakly which meant the morphine was probably weaning. Maybe his emotions and thoughts would level out now. He fiddled with his cannula, already wishing it was gone. He pushed to shake his arms so the sleeves of Shiro's hoodie covered his hands then went back to fiddling with it through the sleeve cuff.

Shiro huffed a small laugh to himself. He probably shouldn't find Keith with mittened hands fiddling with the cannula so cute. He wanted to cuddle closer to both him and Lance - the hug from earlier had been nice, but not enough.

Hearing the quiet laugh faintly, Keith turned slightly to look at Shiro. He raised an eyebrow in question, head tilting slightly.

Shiro smiled. "Nothing. You're just cute, that's all."

"True, now lay back down. It’s cuddle time," Lance announced. Relaxing sounded wonderful.

Keith curled a lip at being called cute. "I'm not cute," he mumbled, burrowing a bit deeper into Shiro's hoodie. His attention was turned back to Lance, an eyebrow at the Cuban's declaration.

Shiro hummed, ready to cuddle. "Instructions?" he asked.

"Lay down," Lance said slowly, pushing gently against Keith's shoulder. "And Shiro, get comfortable, I'm going to lay on you."

Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance but laid down at the command.

Shiro nodded and did as instructed, settling back and getting comfortable. "Ready when you are," he agreed.

Lance climbed in between Shiro's legs and lowered himself onto Shiro's chest. He rested his head gently on Shiro's left peck, eyes toward Keith, with his left arm laying on the bed so it wasn't digging into anybody and his right arm held out so he could lay it over Keith when he curled closer.

Keith smiled softly as Lance got comfortable. Once he was settled, he turned slowly to curl into Shiro's side, nose pressed into it. He closed his eyes, willing his body to relax.

Shiro smiled, finally feeling at peace with both of them in his arms. He wrapped his arms around both of them carefully, supporting them.

Lance carefully laid his arm over Keith's lower back, trying to avoid any of the bandages. He smiled fondly as he looked at Keith. He finally looked like he was relaxing again and that was all Lance wanted. Lance could feel himself slowly drifting off to sleep as his head and torso rose and fell every time Shiro breathed. "I love you," he said quietly.

"Love you more," Keith mumbled, nuzzling deeper into Shiro's side, eyes closing.

Shiro pressed kisses to both of their heads, gentle pecks to let them know he loved them too.

Keith chirped quietly, the sound muffled by Shiro, before falling into a light snooze.

Lance hummed happily and then let himself fall asleep surrounded by his boyfriends.

Shiro smiled fondly down at the both of them, finally relaxed enough to sleep. He watched on for a few minutes before dozing off himself, the stress of the day taking its toll on him.


End file.
